Chapter 39

“What’s going on?”

The guard resting behind the rock furrowed his brows slightly. Ahead, sand was being whipped up behind the rock, as if someone was vigorously throwing sand into the air. The yellow sand mixed with snowflakes, creating a hazy, indistinct scene that seemed peculiar.

The guard tapped the person next to him and stood up, saying, “Come, let’s go take a look.”

“What could possibly happen? At any rate, he’s the famous Mei Xue, the top scholar of his time. He wouldn’t willingly let people pee on his face. Let him be,” his companion pulled him back. “Relax, Brother San knows his limits. He won’t kill him.”

The guard thought about it and sat back down slowly, snorting, “Mei Xue, the top scholar,” he laughed, “more like the chamber pot scholar.”

The group burst into laughter, finding amusement in joking about the once-famous top scholar’s plight. Especially when the scholar seemed so oblivious and refused to reveal the whereabouts of the silver, how could they not be amused? It seemed like this trip might be a waste of time.

Behind the rock, a figure gradually stood up.

The scattered black hair was whipped up by the wind and snow, and the pale side of the face slowly turned towards the people. This face was once incomparably handsome, dubbed as a scenic spot in the Ministry of Revenue. However, it had been tortured to the point of emaciation, with sharp cheekbones protruding. The eyes, once the pride of the Six Ministries, were now black and deep in their sunken sockets, devoid of the former brilliance.

The innate quality of this body was extremely poor, almost to the point of being unable to move. But now, with the injection of a thread of mental power, this dying body was rejuvenated.

The wounds on his wrists were frozen stiff, cold, and numb. Mo Yin rotated his wrists, feeling the sharp pain, as his limited mental power wasn’t enough to block it completely.

But a little pain was sometimes interesting.

The guards seemed to finally notice something was wrong and shouted as they approached, hands on their waist daggers.

Mo Yin stood still, waiting until they were close before abruptly grabbing the dagger from the dead guard hidden under his clothes. With one swift motion, he sliced the man’s face diagonally from forehead to chin, splitting it in half!

The sound of the guard’s screams shattered the silence of the desert.

Those who could escort convicts were not saints, each with blood on their hands. But they hadn’t expected the weak scholar, Mo Yin, to suddenly erupt in violence. Seeing their companion injured, they immediately attacked Mo Yin with ferocity.

Mo Yin calmly met their onslaught. He had no particular love for killing, but each strike he made was fatal. Decapitation, stabbing the heart, cutting the abdomen—all his victims wore expressions of disbelief before falling, as if they had never expected to meet their end at the hands of such a person. They fell with their eyes wide open, staring at the swirling snowflakes.

In less than half a minute, six corpses lay scattered on the ground, amidst the fluttering snowflakes mixed with blood, creating a scene of impurity.

Mo Yin’s prison clothes were quickly dyed red, and even his face was covered with warm blood, dripping down his long hair. He took a deep breath, inserted the dagger into the solid and cold sand, and leaned on the hilt, coughing uncontrollably.

The condition of this body was terrible. The torture from the Ministry of Justice had damaged his bones, and the wind and sand had hurt his lungs during the journey of exile. Even with the help of his mental power, he was now exhausted, swaying on the verge of collapse, his vision blurred, and he almost fell.

This world was just as terrifying as the last one. He didn’t know if it was because he forcibly brought a thread of mental power into this world, but he had experienced the entire life of this character from infancy. Rather than activating the flat world, it was more like he had directly become this character.

As Mo Yin adjusted his breathing, he keenly sensed unusual movements to his right rear. Immediately, he warily turned towards it.

The desert was gradually entering the true night.

On the undulating sand dunes and rocks, the sun and moon bizarrely coexisted, without a single star in the sky.

Mo Yin clenched the hilt of his dagger tightly, slowly standing up.

He was tired, hungry, and thirsty, but his eyes were deep and terrifying, fixed on the seemingly peaceful sand dune not far away.

As the sun’s light gradually dimmed and the moon’s silver light spilled onto the sand dune, a ghostly figure quietly emerged from the curved horizon.

Its a wolf

With pointed ears, emerald eyes, and a leisurely gait, they cautiously approached the source of the strong scent of blood under the cover of sand and stones.

Gradually, glowing eyes appeared on the undulating horizon.

They seemed to realize that Mo Yin was the only living creature left here, so they boldly revealed themselves. Their backs gracefully undulated, their limbs long and strong, and each wolf, whether near or far, silently watched Mo Yin in the wind and snow.

A standoff ensued, neither side approaching too close.

The wolf pack didn’t make any sudden moves. They had animal instincts and sensed the strong killing intent still emanating from Mo Yin’s seemingly helpless body.

Mo Yin stood in place, his thin prison clothes swaying slightly in the wind and snow. He suppressed the urge to cough, standing motionless like a statue amidst the howling wind.

Killing those men had exhausted the last remaining strength in his body. Now, he faced the wolves with nothing but his willpower. As the surroundings grew colder, Mo Yin felt the blood on his face almost freezing. Of course, the wolves in the desert weren’t afraid of the cold. They cunningly waited for Mo Yin to be defeated by the cold, so they could easily feast on him.

Sensing their intentions, Mo Yin smiled. He didn’t know if animals in these small worlds had sentience. He said to the wolves, “Don’t worry if I don’t make it, I’ll make sure to bring you all along before I die.”

The alpha wolf standing on the highest ground let out a low growl, and the wolves echoed in response. Mo Yin continued to smile. “Stop making noise. If you have the guts, come and try me.”

The situation remained deadlocked.

Suddenly, Mo Yin lifted his knife, and the entire wolf pack took a step back in unison.

Mo Yin smiled satisfactorily. The law of the jungle dictated that the weak were bullied while the strong were respected. These wolves wouldn’t have chosen to provoke him if they were smart. He raised his knife and cut off a leg from one of the corpses beside him. Tossing the severed limb into the midst of the wolf pack, they immediately changed their formation, still extremely wary. After some time, one wolf finally picked up the severed limb under the alpha wolf’s signal.

Mo Yin turned his head and began stripping the clothes off the corpses, one by one. He found a matchbox on one of them, blew on it, and lit a fire. Mo Yin set fire to the documents, waist plaques, and wooden shackles they carried. The flames weren’t big, but they provided some warmth.

The wolf pack had finished devouring the severed limb, and their green eyes shone towards Mo Yin. As Mo Yin inspected the stripped belongings, he waved his hand at the wolves. “The rest is all yours.”

The wolves surged forward, feasting on the six corpses.

Mo Yin held the knife in his hand, coughing at the fire.

The nearest city shouldn’t be far from here. Those men had stripped him and played with him when it was already late. They must have been confident they could reach a supply point before nightfall. However, in his current state, if he entered the city rashly, he would immediately be arrested for looking suspicious. At the very least, he needed to tidy up.

As Mo Yin pondered, he felt something moving next to him. He turned his head and saw a grayish wolf not far away, seemingly hesitant to approach him because of the fire. Mo Yin took a sip of water and broke off a piece of dry food, tossing it beside him.

The wolf hesitated for a long time before slowly approaching.

From the color of its fur, this should be a young wolf. Mo Yin chewed on the dry food with a dry mouth, slowly replenishing his strength.

After licking up the dry food on the ground, the wolf gradually approached. Mo Yin remained seated, eating his dry food. Its moist tongue licked his face, but Mo Yin remained unfazed.

The wolf soon licked the blood off his face, then lay down beside him. The wolf pack finished their meal, gradually gathering around Mo Yin, seeking shelter from the wind behind the rock.

Mo Yin reached out and stroked the young wolf next to him. Its fur was rough, but its body temperature was warm. He wrapped his clothes tightly around himself, surrounded by the wolf pack, and gradually fell asleep.

The night passed peacefully.

When Mo Yin woke up, the fire had been extinguished. He wrapped all the knives in a piece of clothing and lit the fire again. He threw his prison clothes and official robes into the fire. The wolves retreated, afraid.

Mo Yin watched as everything turned to ashes, fingers intertwined behind his back, he whistled towards the wolves, “Farewell.”

*

“Damn heavens, this snow is too heavy.”

Cheng Wu brushed off the snow from his sleeves, adjusted his hat on his head, and said, “Mo Yin”

There was no response from inside the house. Cheng Wu muttered as he walked in, “Could he be ill again?”

“Who are you cursing?”

A deep voice sounded, naturally melodious but marred by illness, like ripples in a deep pool.

The curtain lifted, revealing a thin face. After more than a month of recuperation, Mo Yin looked much better than before, as Cheng Wu put it, “Finally looking like a person.”

After leaving the wolf pack, Mo Yin relied on his experience to guess the approximate direction of the city’s architecture and found this mediocre city.

It was a small border town, not prosperous. Mo Yin encountered Cheng Wu, riding a camel through the snow outside the city. Mo Yin lied, claiming he had been robbed by barbarians, his entire family taken and held for over a month before he managed to escape today.

Cheng Wu was startled at the sight of Mo Yin, thinking, How come this person looks neither alive nor dead? When Mo Yin recounted his ordeal, Cheng Wu’s eyes blazed with anger, “Damn barbarians!”

Later, Mo Yin learned that last spring, when the barbarians raided the border, Cheng Wu wasn’t in town. When he returned, he found his critically ill mother had died in bed, her wrists bruised from where her bracelet had been forcefully taken.

After learning that Mo Yin’s entire family was gone, Cheng Wu fell silent for a moment, then commanded his camel to kneel and bring Mo Yin into the city. Now alone, he kindly took in Mo Yin, who stayed without hesitation to recuperate.

Mo Yin thought his mental strength could sustain his body, but upon arriving at Cheng’s house, he immediately fell ill.

When the barbarians attacked the city, Cheng Wu wasn’t there; he was seeking a wandering witch doctor to treat his mother. Though the witch doctor was found, he refused to go with Cheng Wu. Cheng Wu brought back some herbs but found his mother gone. Seeing Mo Yin delirious, Cheng Wu hastily brewed the herbs into a soup and forced him to drink it.

A day and night later, Mo Yin woke up. Cheng Wu was overjoyed, tears welling in his eyes, “It was my mother who saved you.” After that, Cheng Wu took even better care of Mo Yin, partly to ease his own guilt, and Mo Yin gradually recovered, though he still coughed often.

Since staying with Cheng’s family, Mo Yin handed all his money to Cheng Wu. Cheng Wu initially refused, but Mo Yin insisted, “Take it. I don’t want to owe you.”

Cheng Wu, somewhat resentful, saw Mo Yin’s emaciated frame and tight skin, and without arguing further, snatched the money pouch from his hand, gruffly saying, “I saved your life. No matter how much money you give me, you still owe me.”

Mo Yin just smiled without comment.

“Why didn’t you respond when I called you?” Cheng Wu took off his hat, steam rising from his head.

“I’m not your pet. Just because you call, I have to come back?”

Cheng Wu got angry again, glaring at him, “Why do you speak so ungratefully to your savior?”

Mo Yin sat down on a bench, hands tucked into his sleeves, “How’s the situation outside?”

Cheng Wu poured himself a bowl of water, gulping it down, the bowl slamming on the table, “It’s all quiet out there. Probably have to wait until spring again. Bunch of animals.”

Mo Yin nodded.

Cheng Wu frowned at the window, the thick curtains blocking the wind. Outside, the snowstorm howled mournfully. He had been scouting around on horseback for the past couple of days; those barbarians really didn’t take them seriously. They hadn’t moved their camp since last year when they wreaked havoc. They were still stationed near their mediocre city. Come spring, they might attack again…

After pondering for a while, Cheng Wu turned to Mo Yin, “Do you think we’ll really get revenge then?”

“We will,” Mo Yin replied.

Cheng Wu couldn’t stand Mo Yin’s vague response, feeling that Mo Yin seemed too mysterious. Yet, since they shared a common enemy, it brought them closer.

“You rest,” Cheng Wu waved his hand, “Get well first.”

Mo Yin glanced at him with a smile that was not quite a smile. “Wasn’t it you who called me out?”

Cheng Wu was momentarily speechless, then remembered something. He loosened his belt, and Mo Yin watched him without a word. Cheng Wu pulled out a gleaming soft sword from his waist. “Look, it’s done—”

Mo Yin examined the soft sword in the inner room, flicking his finger against the blade. The blade was incredibly flexible, softly bouncing back twice. He pressed down on the wrist, exerted a little force, and the blade straightened. In the dimly lit room, it shimmered with a snowy light. With a twist of Mo Yin’s wrist, the sound of the blade cutting through the air was exceptionally light—a fine sword.

Mo Yin took off his shoes, crossed his legs on the bed, and coughed lightly amidst the embrace of the blankets.

In this world, Mo Yin had many enemies. The people involved in the corruption case were more than a few, each face etched clearly in his mind. However, he didn’t know which one would be the main player, or which one would be related to the main player.

But since he was to confront the main player, what mattered most was to return to the court as soon as possible, and he needed power, a lot of power.

Yet, he was now a wanted criminal, even if he wanted to start afresh and participate in the imperial exams, obtaining a qualification for the exams was as difficult as reaching the sky.

The imperial exams were out of the question.

So, there was only one other path.

This was the border, where countless barbarians harassed and invaded year after year, causing headaches for the court. Despite sending troops to battle several times, they had never achieved satisfactory results.

Mo Zigui was a powerless civil official, unrelated to the border conflicts.

Mo Yin quietly gazed at the soft sword in his hand, the blade’s gleam reflecting a pair of dark eyes. With the infusion of his mental strength, even these eyes seemed to radiate a cold light.

Now, he was Mo Yin.