IMM 3 – Mortal Roots
Mo Wuji calmly told Hu Fei, “I am still part of the Northern Qin Dynasty family. Even though I did not manage to succeed the throne, my aristocratic title is still there. Do you dare to hurt a noble like me? Hu Fei, I’m warning you that even tearing your body from limb to limb by five horses or cutting you up into a thousand pieces would be too light a punishment for you.”
Hu Fei startled as he realised that even the weakened duke like him still belongs to the royal family and that he is not someone a lowly personnel like Hu Fei himself can mess with.
Whether or not Mo Wuji is still considered to be part of the royal family is not for someone like Hu Fei to find out. However Mo Wuji is right was right in stating that if someone were to hurt a noble, punishment such as tearing the body from limb to limb by 5 horses would indeed be going easy on the offender.
Hu Fei realised the consequence of hurting a noble and quickly responded, “My Lord, I am just joking with you, I would never dare to lay a finger on you.”
To get rid of Mo Wuji needs no rush, Hu Fei has nothing but time on his side to do a thorough check on whether Mo Wuji’s title is still valid till today.
Mo Wuji walked over to Hu Fei very calmly and took over the knife from his hand.
“What a good knife” Mo Wuji knew this knife was exceptionally sharp the moment he got his hands on it.
Having let go of the knife in his hands, Hu Fei subconsciously took a few steps back and cautiously observe Mo Wuji.
Yan’Er watched over the two of them nervously. Even though the knife is with Mo Wuji now, Yan’Er still cannot help but panicked. Having served Mo Wuji for a long time, she clearly knew that Mo Wuji is just a civilian like the rest and does not hold any aristocratic title.
In other words, since Mo Wuji first attacked Hu Fei, even if Hu Fei were to indeed kill Mo Wuji, Hu Fei would at most be punished with a small fine only.
Looking at the knife in his hands, Mo Wuji stare at Hu Fei’s eyes and said, “Hu Fei, I am not trying to use my position to threaten you. Even if I am no longer part of the royal family, my ancestors were once dukes and you would get away easy by hurting their descendant. Hurting the descendant of a royal blood, isn’t it equivalent to not showing any form of respect for the Cheng Yu state?”
Mo Wuji gave a cold smirk as he finishes his sentence.
Hu Fei kept thinking if Mo Wuji is really part of the royal family because if he is not, Hu Fei is confident of finishing him off even though the knife is with Mo Wuji. Upon hearing what Mo Wuji just said, this thought of his disappeared very quickly without a trace and he replies, “My Lord, a lowly personnel like me was really just joking with you earlier.”
Hu Fei also wondered how Mo Wuji’s change in attitude can be so drastic.
“I am no longer the King now, scram before I change my mind.” Mo Wuji kept Hu Fei’s knife in his boot tube.
“Yes, yes Master Mo please take care.” Hu Fei heart ache as he watched Mo Wuji kept his knife and walked away.
That knife has always been with Hu Fei and little did he expect someone to take it away from him today. Saying his heart would not ache would be lying to himself.
“Master, you are no longer…” As Hu Fei left, Yan’Er cautiously walked over and told Mo Wuji.
Mo Wuji interrupted and said, “I know, let’s talk when we get back.”
Even without Yan’Er’s reminder, Mo Wuji would have already guessed he’s no longer part of the royal family.
…
They lived in a very cramped space and there’s only an old cloth separating the two wooden beds. There’s nothing valuable in the house, Mo Wuji knows that even those that might worth a little would have been sold by Yan’Er to buy sweets to play with the children.
Mo Wuji saw himself in the scratched mirror hanging in front of his bed. He resembles what himself in the past life and his long dry hair is tidied very neatly by Yan’Er. Even though his face is pale as usual, comparing it to Yan’Er’s yellowish skinny face, it is much better. Other than the tired eyes, slick eyebrows and sharp nose made him look decently handsome.
“Master, I will go to aunts to borrow some rice…” Yan’Er said the moment she stepped into the house. She still felt that Mo Wuji should have taken and kept the packet of pig head meat from Hu Fei instead of the knife.
“Hold on…” Mo Wuji stopped Yan’Er.
Mo Wuji asked Yan’Er the moment he saw her turned her head curiously looking at him, “Yan’Er, Hu Fei seems to be trained in martial arts as he is much stronger than me. He’s a hooligan, but where did he learn them from?”
From what Mo Wuji could remember, this world isn’t a place full of top martial artists. What rights does Hu Fei has that he could learn martial arts when the descendant of a noble like himself did not learn?
Yan’Er revealed a disdain expression and replied, “Hu Fei barely learned a few moves from others, and he can’t even open his spirit. How can it be considered to be true martial arts? I’ve heard from your grandfather that your great grandfather was a true spiritual martial artist.”
“What is opening of the spirit?” Mo Wuji anxiously asked because in his memory, other than his previous country, there is absolutely nothing else. Could it be that he was wrong and that this place is still a place where one can master martial arts?
At this moment, he feel excited and fired up to go all out to learn martial arts if it is really possible now. This is so that if one day he could return to Earth, he could ask her in person “Why?”
Yan’Er is not surprised at Mo Wuji not knowing what the opening of spirit is. What surprised Yan’Er the most is that the young master previously could not care less about such things, why is he so curious about it now?
She still told him all that she knew, “Opening of the spirit is helping someone with spiritual roots excite their spiritual roots and open up their spiritual network. Only those who have excited roots and opened network would be able to practice and master martial arts. I’ve heard that the more networks opening during the first try would mean that the quality of spiritual roots would be greater.”
Mo Wuji immediately caught two main points from what Yan’Er said. The first is that to learn martial arts, one has to have spiritual roots. Secondly one must be able to open up their spiritual network.
“Yan’Er, why did old master not bring me to open up my spirit?” Mo Wuji asked excitedly.
Yan’Er tone became deeper and said, “When old master first came to RaoZhou, he was too busy in trying to succeed the throne. When he realised that it was not possible anymore, he wanted to let you learn martial arts. Old master accumulated enough money for you to test your roots and open your spirit. However after the tests, it was to find out that you possess mortal roots just like old master. People with mortal roots under normal circumstances cannot excite their roots and hence not able to learn.
“What is mortal roots?” Mo Wuji’s heart sank but still asked anyways.
Having gone through death, what else can he not find acceptable?
Yan’Er could fee Mo Wuji’s disappointment, sighed and said, “I’ve heard from old master that one’s qualification will affect one’s martial arts future. Normally, those without spiritual roots are called mortal roots, also known as useless roots. Those with mortal roots are just like everyone else.
Those with spiritual roots can practice and the grade off one’s spiritual roots can be further divided into different levels. There are the low level, medium level, high level and the top level. I’ve heard people saying there are some with grades even higher than top level which I’m not too sure which level it is in anymore.”
“So I only have mortal roots…” Mo Wuji could no longer hide his disappointment after hearing Yan’Er.
Yan’Er tried to comfort Mo Wuji saying, “Young master, even in ChengYu state itself there are only a small number who has spiritual roots. The rest of the people like us only have mortal roots but they are all living just fine, I am sure we will too.”
Mo Wuji clenched his fist and said, “Yan’Er, I will go and find something to do tomorrow. I want to accumulate some money and get ready to try and open my spirit once more.”
“Ah …” Yan’Er seems to be shocked by Mo Wuji’s decision but understood what he was trying to do, “Young master, please don’t do it. Back then, old master saved up money to test for your roots and despite knowing you have mortal roots, he still tried to open up your spirit only to realise mortal roots will never turn into spiritual roots. After this attempt, not long later old master passed away with an illness…”
Yan’Er’s words may be a little obscured but Mo Wuji understood what she was trying to point out. Back then if old master did not try and open Mo Wuji’s spirit, even if he may be poor, he would probably not die of illness. This also proves that the amount of money needed is not a small sum. However having lived in two different worlds, Mo Wuji was not as innocent as Yan’Er. Mo Guangyuan died coincidentally after he tried to open Mo Wuji’s spirit, it probably isn’t something so straightforward like an illness. From the looks of it, if he were to open his spirit, he has to be extra careful.
“Do not worry Yan’Er, I have confidence I will be able to earn the money. Tomorrow onwards, you do not have to go borrow rice from aunts because I will take care of you.” Mo Wuji said as he walked over to Yan’Er and gently touched Yan’Er’s undernourished yellowish hair.
Yan’Er is only so young, can you imagine how much she sacrificed when Mo XingHe’s parents both died and she has to take care of a mad Mo XingHe?
Aunt is only their landlord, and she has all along been very accommodating to them already. Aunt is a widow and hence her life was not exactly very good either hence to always request for rice from her is a form of burden to their aunt too.
Mo Wuji is still a top notch botanist in this rather advanced country, how can providing three meals a day be an obstacle for him?