No One Can Rival Me

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 wronged 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 were falling. He clutched the ragged book tightly as he sobbed in a pathetic way.

Xie Mingjun thought he would 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.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." 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 were heading towards 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. There was just a thin scrawny soldier and a fat one as well, both drinking to their fill without a care of duty nor reserve.

"Brothers, I wish to speak with your captain." Shen Mo straightforwardly said and approached them.

The soldiers only took a glimpse of him before laughing. Shen Mo kept patient but Xie Mingjun found 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 and their comrades started to gather around too.

"Wu Patriarch? If you are him, show us your face!" The guards snickered.

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.

"Friends, perhaps there is another-"

Before Shen Mo could finish, the thin guard shot a crossbow at him, barely missing his ear. He can still choke up more disrespect as he doesn't wish to lay a hand on mortals. However, he soon noticed the guards had their jaws dropped.

"M-mister.." The silent Xie Mingjun spoke up and he pointed at Shen Mo's face.

Realization dawned on Shen Mo but it was too late, his face was revealed!

"Wu Patriarch?" The fat soldier asked, scrutinizing Shen Mo with his ugly gaze. He spat on the ground and chided, "I guess the Wu Patriarch has no dong!"

"Don't fool us! Wu Patriarch was said to be uglier than my toe!" The thin soldier joined the insult, having fun for a moment.

The guards watching the event were bursting with laughter. Xie Mingjun was unhappy, how dare these people mock his savior! He is about to step forward and defend Shen Mo but he was stopped.

"It is of no use to dwell on unimportant matters." Shen Mo told the boy squarely. His words of wisdom earned more respect from Xie Mingjun, earning a sparkling stare from the boy. However, the loud laughter of the soldiers caused his brow to twitch. "But sometimes, preserve your dong, prove your dong."

"Huh..?" Xie Mingjun was confused but his thoughts were interrupted when he heard the screams of the soldiers. He was shocked to see them all lying on the ground as if a mountain crushed them!

"I repeat, I am Wu Patriarch. Call your captain." Shen Mo demanded, his voice arctic and heavy. He slowly lifted the pressure from the soldiers, enabling them to stand up with trembling legs.

"O-of course, Ma'am, I mean, Sir!" The thin soldier frantically replied and ran hastily to seek their leader.

Xie Mingjun looked at Shen Mo with awe after the fiasco. He has learned his lesson today. He must always prove his dong!

A minute has passed and immediately, the heavy metal door from the guard tower opened loudly, screeching from the rust and stoned wall of the city. Mu Zheng, the captain of the city watch arrived in haste. He quickly knelt down and clasped his hands in a form of salute towards Shen Mo. The onlooking soldiers gulped, they really have offended the Wu Patriarch!

"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. From that malnourished boy, he grew up into a fine military man. "Stand up Mu Zheng! You don't have to be formal."

"Wu Patriarch deserves my salute. I am forever grateful for your benevolence. If it wasn't for Wu Patriarch taking pity, I would have died an orphan in some forest. Wu Patriarch's death threat towards the previous captain; blessed be his soul, had convinced him to adopt me." Mu Zheng's words made Shen Mo step back.

"T-that backstory was unnecessary!" Shen Mo wanted to facepalm at how Mu Zheng stated their past.

Indeed, he pitied Mu Zheng thirty years ago. Indeed, he brought Mu Zheng to the barracks hoping the captain back then would adopt the boy. Indeed..he threatened to blow them all away if no one would take care of Mu Zheng..

"Ehem, enough chitchat. I came here for a reason." Shen Mo cleared his throat. He pulled Xie Mingjun forward and happily presented him, "Tada! I have another orphan boy here! I assure you he is a talent and I want you to raise him strong!"

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 the 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 could 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. Perhaps he should make a new title, perhaps Wu Patriarch: The De-Orphan Master would fit him.

Mu Zheng looked back at the boy and hung the token on 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 to repay the favor.

"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 in no time. 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 stepped 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 Tao Supreme Sect were standing on one foot above tree trunks with heavy books on their hands and heads. The outer and inner court elders wondered why too.

"This is all a liar's fault!" Zhang Ningxiang started which caught the other five's attention.

"If someone had listened I ingested the wrong herbs that made me hallucinate and speak in shambles, I wouldn't have promised I could roast a dragon she is craving!" 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 blunt sword, 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 that he fell from the tall stand.

"Argh! Exactly!" 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 scary 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. What did she do to deserve this, ah? "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.

"Master, will I grow up like them?" Cai quietly asked Shen Mo by the bushes.

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 unbelievable.

"Just ask Buddha you won't be like them." Shen Mo sighed and held her hand to guide her back to the Founder's Peak. He thought for a moment, wondering how to appear wise in front of Cai. Those elders stuffed 'shame' all over his face, aiya! "Don't let your emotions get ahead of you. If you make a decision and are 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."

"What if Master is in danger?"

"Silly girl, that will never happen." Shen Mo smiled softly. He looked up at the clear dark sky where stars shone in flickers. "Times are changing, Cai. There are many strong people in this world, and there are more of them emerging. Pray this master of yours remains in Wu, pray no one can rival me."

Cai stared at Shen Mo as if understanding every word he spoke of. She had seen how grand her master is. If someone could rival him, may the Heavens have mercy and it will not drive Wu in devastation.