Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Another Epiphany

As the night deepened, the few remaining disciples in the fields left one after another. Under the moonlight, only the two figures were still fighting fiercely in the open space in front of the orchard.

A long sword full of gaps flew over and was quickly slapped away by Mo Aotian with a palm.

"Where did you find this broken sword?"

Yun Miao said proudly, "This is something a senior sister used to harvest wheat. I saw she was going to throw it away after harvesting it, so I went to ask for it."

Mo Aotian: "It's just a broken sword that can't even be considered a magic weapon, and you want it? Can't you buy a better sword?"

“Free is best.”

Yun Miao: "Also, I advise you not to underestimate it. I smeared the juice of the itchy grass on it. Hehe, if you get scratched, you'll be in trouble~"

Mo Aotian: "Insidious!"

Yun Miao said coldly, "The world of cultivation is so cruel and dangerous. If you can't even adapt to this, you'd better go home and cry into your blanket!"

Mo Aotian: "You've adapted well, but the fire chives have become weeds. You said you'd work hard to get Xiao Hei some meat, but in the end you went to Master to beg for mercy."

"Why bother me if I sell it or not? Just tell me if Xiao Hei got to eat the meat!"

Yun Miao quickly dived into the ground to avoid Mo Aotian's attack, then poked his upper body out of the ground like a groundhog, launching water balls to interfere and fighting back fiercely.

"But you can't complete your missions during the day, and after fighting me, you still have to work in the orchard under the stars. Is this the strength of a dignified Jindan-stage four-clawed dragon? You're so weak and pathetic."

Mo Aotian: "Yun Miao, I find you're becoming more and more annoying lately!"

Yun Miao: "Same here!"

The countless backslides in the ring have made Yun Miao familiar with Mo Aotian's attack routines. In the past few days, she and Mo Aotian, who had suppressed his cultivation, have been fighting back and forth. Although she has lost more than she has won, she is also making rapid progress. Today, the fight is evenly matched. In the end, Yun Miao has the upper hand because of the assist of the itchy grass.

Mo Aotian had no choice but to pluck out a scale with a sour face and threw it to her. He always felt that if this bet continued, he would eventually be plucked bald by himself one day.

Seeing that the battle was over, Xiao Hei swallowed the mutton in his mouth, rubbed the oil stains on his mouth tube with wild grass, and then walked towards Yun Miao.

Yun Miao proudly put the scales and the roasted whole lamb into the storage bag, picked up Xiao Hei again, and prepared to go back to the bed in the medicine house to lie down and log off.

Before she had taken a few steps, she heard a low questioning voice behind her.

"Yun Miao... do you know why I hate humans so much?"

Yun Miao turned her head and saw Mo Aotian sitting on the edge of the field with an expressionless face, looking up at the bright full moon in the night sky. His black eyes were like a deep pool, with many things floating up from the bottom.

She thought for a moment and said, "If you mean the time you were almost killed by humans two hundred years ago, then I know."

Mo Aotian quickly turned his head, and his normal human eyes turned into dark vertical pupils, revealing an inhuman scrutiny.

"You know? How did you know that?"

Xiao Hei immediately looked up, his amber eyes staring straight at Mo Aotian.

Mo Aotian just glanced at it coldly and looked at Yun Miao again. However, before she could answer, he had already guessed the answer: "It must be that annoying Ning Yu who told you again, right?"

Seeing Yun Miao nod, he snorted coldly and turned to look at the moon again, without speaking for a long time.

Yun Miao had already realized that an important plot was about to begin, so he sat on the ridge of the field holding Xiao Hei.

Considering that she won today, she was willing to spend some time and listen to Mo Aotian's story.

After an unknown amount of time, Mo Aotiancai slowly asked, "How much did she tell you?"

Yun Miao briefly summarized it, and Mo Aotian cursed with a sour face: "What a chatterbox."

Then his voice dropped again. "I can't remember whether my mother left when I was five or six. I still don't know why she left. The Sect Leader wanted to bring me back to the sect to raise me, but I didn't want to leave Black Dragon Ridge at the time. I felt that was my home."

"Xuantian Sect is a very good place. If it weren't for the people from the sect who came to visit me from time to time and helped me to eliminate danger, I would have been eaten by those monsters who coveted the flesh and blood of the dragon."

"Time passed slowly. A hundred years is a long time for you humans, but it's very short for a Jiao. It wasn't even enough for me to survive my childhood. But the aura my mother left behind became increasingly faint, until it completely disappeared. So I thought... it was time to descend the mountain..."

"At that time, I thought the people down the mountain were as good as those from Xuantian Sect..."

"Ning Yu was right to scold me. I was too arrogant. The people in the sect had clearly warned me long ago that many people and monsters outside coveted the flesh and blood of the four-clawed dragon, but I didn't take it to heart..."

"I was completely bewildered by that person's flattery. I never imagined that a weakling like him, a mere Qi Refining Stage human, would have the guts to harm me..."

"But later I understood why those humans were so bold, because... they had already killed a four-clawed dragon before me, and the sharp knife they used to cut my flesh was full of my mother's scent..."

"She had only lost her inner elixir. She could clearly have been saved. They didn't even need to do anything; they could have simply pretended not to see anything. But they chose to slaughter her and eat her. Every mortal in the village, young and old, regardless of gender, ate my mother."

"My mother once followed Elder Yuchen and saved countless lives during floods and droughts, even though she helped turn the tide by sending rain and clouds. Yet, humans treat her like this..."

"You know what? When I first entered the village, I felt inexplicably friendly to them. I even shared the candy I had bought with the elderly and children. Then... when I woke up in severe pain the next day, I finally understood where that inexplicable feeling of kindness came from..."

"Tell me, don't they all deserve to die?"

The more Mo Aotian spoke, the more murderous intent appeared in his eyes. His aura became unstable, and black scales began to appear on his neck and the backs of his hands.

Xiao Hei, who was originally lying in Yun Miao's arms, stood up and called out to Mo Aotian. Mo Aotian's rising breath stagnated, and then returned to his previous state, except that his eyes were a little red.

Yun Miao: "Senior Sister Ning said they are already dead."

"Yes, they are all dead. I even took out those candies from the stomachs of those old people and children with my own hands."

Mo Aotian's voice was a little hoarse. "That was two hundred years ago. Elder Shui and Ning Yu forcibly took me back to the sect and locked me up. I know they did it for my own good, but I really can't understand why those humans were so cruel to my mother. I can no longer face these people in the sect."

Yun Miao was puzzled: "Then why did you tell me this?"

Mo Aotian was silent for a moment. "Maybe it's because you're so obviously bad. You dare to say anything, and you're not afraid that I'll get angry and bite your head off. And... you're the first person I've seen who gave the fasting pill to a dog and then ate grass himself, ignoring everyone's strange looks."

"There aren't many fools like you in the world. Even Dongjun, the peak master of Beast Peak who loves raising monsters and making friends with big monsters, can't do what you do."

Yun Miao glared at him: "You are the fool. You ate me before and even had diarrhea and vomiting because of my poison. It's obvious that you are the more foolish!"

Don’t think you can secretly scold her just because you have a miserable life!

Mo Aotian choked: "I'm not having diarrhea! I'm just sad. Can't you just be quiet for a moment and listen to me?"

"Okay, just say whatever you want to say. If you want comfort... I can lend you Xiao Hei for a while."

Yun Miao held Xiao Hei high up, and the little wolf cub let his body relax and hang down, with his tail raised to cover his private parts.

Mo Aotian turned his head to look, and both the little wolf cub's amber eyes and the girl's black and white almond eyes were just looking at him quietly, as quiet as the moon tonight.

"I'm not interested in this dumb dog. You should hold it yourself."

Mo Aotian turned his head away and said sullenly, "For the past two hundred years, I have always wanted to find out the truth of what happened and avenge my mother, but I can't even leave the Xuantian Sect."

Yun Miao: "If you want me to help you escape from prison, forget it. If you can't even escape Xuantian Sect independently, then your escape is not revenge, it's a way to get food."

Mo Aotian: "...you and that annoying guy said the same thing."

"I understand what you mean. My mother was already at the peak of the Void Refinement Stage back then, and was only one step away from the Mahayana Stage. Anyone who could easily dig out her inner core without killing her must be a Mahayana Stage like the Sect Leader, or even a powerful being at the Tribulation Crossing Stage. And I'm just a small Golden Core."

"Actually, Ning Yu scolded me just yesterday. She said I underestimated you and made the same mistake as two hundred years ago."

In fact, Ning Yu scolded him even more harshly, saying that his brain had been damaged by being soaked in water for years, and he deserved to have his head hit, which was just the right time to pour out the water that had entered his brain.

"You are only fifteen years old, yet your character and understanding are far superior to mine. You have made rapid progress in just a few days after joining the sect. In contrast, I have made very slow progress in my cultivation over the years, and my character has not improved at all."

A young man in black armor looked up at the distant full moon. The hard black armor reflected the cold and lonely moonlight, and the confusion in his eyes was like the fog drifting in the mountains.

"Tell me, how long am I going to continue wasting my time like this? Can I really find the murderer and avenge my mother?"

Mo Aotian wasn't questioning anyone so much as questioning himself. Two hundred years might not seem like much to a grown dragon, but for a young dragon that was only three hundred years old, it was far too long, so long that it made him waver.

Yun Miao: "Of course!"

Mo Aotian was stunned by the confident answer. He looked at her with red eyes: "Do you trust me so much?"

"I don't believe in you, I believe in myself."

Yun Miao patted Mo Aotian on the shoulder and expressed confidently that, as the saying goes, the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. As the beloved disciple of the Xuantian Sect's leader, she was happy to help everyone in the sect solve their problems, and to meet the people's urgent needs and wants.

So she announced that from today on, Mo Aotian’s revenge would be hers!

Although she doesn't even know who her enemy is now, don't forget that she is a rare genius, and there will definitely be a day in the future when she will kill her enemy with her own hands.

The girl's hair and face were disheveled from the fight, but her eyes were brighter than the moonlight tonight. She promised word by word, "I promise that this day will never be too late."

“This—is my campaign manifesto!”

Mo Aotian was stunned. Before he could see the small moon reflected in Yun Miao's eyes, he heard her passionate last words.

He was silent for a moment: "Running for what?"

"Of course, he's running for the next Xuantian Sect leader!"

Yun Miao thought proudly, "When the time comes, I will be the leader, and Xiao Hei will replace you as the guardian beast. The entire Xuantian Sect will be ours. Now, please allow Xiao Hei to give a few words of thanks for the award."

Xiao Hei: "...Ah."

Mo Aotian: "...I must be crazy to have chatted with a fool like you for so long. Okay, go back and dream about your life. I'll go back to watering the peach tree."

He stood up with a grim face and prepared to leave, but he couldn't move after taking a step. Looking down, he saw Yun Miao sitting on the edge of the field, holding a dog in one hand and pulling the corner of his black robe with the other.

"Why are young people so angry? Well, well, if you don't want to listen to the future Master Yun, then I, Master Yun, will help you."

Yun Miao said calmly: "You just want to become stronger, so I will teach you."

Mo Aotian had a blank expression on his face: "Teach me how to quickly reach the ninth level of the Qi Refining Stage?"

Yun Miao: "I really can't teach you how to improve your cultivation as quickly as possible. Not only me, but no one in the entire cultivation world can teach you how to quickly reach the Mahayana stage. But I can show you another way to become stronger quickly."

Mo Aotian immediately lifted his leg and broke free from Yun Miao's hand, warning him sternly, "Those who cultivate demons will be beaten to death by the Sect Master."

Yun Miao: "What nonsense are you talking about? What I want to say is to learn from the foreigners in order to defeat them!"

Mo Aotian was silent for a moment: "What...Auntie?"

Yun Miao: "...I almost forgot you are illiterate."

Before Mo Aotian could get angry, she quickly explained the concept of learning from foreigners to defeat them. Mo Aotian stopped and looked at her thoughtfully, motioning for her to elaborate.

Yun Miao continued, "You just said that Yuanzhou is the territory of demon cultivators, and Yaozhou is the territory of the demon race. The human race's spiritual cultivators have occupied the remaining states and set up a Xuanyuan Guan micro-array stretching for thousands of miles around the border of Yuanzhou and Yaozhou, as well as countless sentry posts. If a powerful demon approaches, an alarm will be triggered."

"So, to avoid being attacked by human cultivators, old demons and monsters above the Out-of-Body Stage all retreat to Yuanzhou and Yaozhou, rarely appearing in other states. Therefore, you suspect that the person who stole your mother's golden elixir is 80% likely a human spiritual cultivator."

"Then Elder Yuchen performed divination and indeed determined that the person who harmed your mother was a very powerful woman. Unfortunately, she had already fled far away, so her exact location could not be determined."

"I'm human, so I know exactly where humans' strengths lie. Humans always enjoy observing and recording the habits, preferences, and...fatal weaknesses of all creatures, as well as the benefits that various body parts can bring to humans."

"Simply hating humans won't help you find and kill your enemies. You should delve deeper into their habits, preferences, and culture, and uncover their weaknesses..."

Mo Aotian's breathing quickened. He vaguely realized what Yun Miao meant, but he had not yet grasped that flash of inspiration.

"Yun Miao, what do you think I should do?"

Yun Miaowei raised his chin: "Please call me Master Yun."

Mo Aotian no longer cared about arguing with her. He bowed to her with a serious expression and said, "Master Yun, please teach me."

Yun Miao was satisfied. "Read books. Digest the crystallization of human wisdom just like you digest your inherited memories. Observe every human being around you and experience all aspects of life. If humans are smart, you will be smarter than them. If humans are cunning, you will be more cunning than them. If humans are sly, you will be more cunning than them..."

"Of course, I'm not asking you to blindly imitate humans and completely forget about your own strengths as a dragon. Or even do something worse than those people did back then. It would be bad if you end up being a villain after killing people."

"You don't have to use those methods on a daily basis, but you must understand them. Only then will you have a chance to turn the tide when you truly face that powerful enemy..."

Mo Aotian lowered his head, his eyes unfocused as he looked at his hands. The duel in the ring flashed through his mind. At that time, he looked at his hands covered in blood and clenched his fists in embarrassment. But today, he clenched his fists again, and he finally caught that flash of inspiration.

"Is it just like what you did back in the ring... somehow you knew exactly what I was going to do, dodging and counterattacking every time as if you had foreseen it... until you turned the tide..."

Yun Miao looked up at him in slight surprise, then nodded decisively, "That's right. It was precisely because I knew every move you made, every expression, and even every bit of spiritual energy in your dantian that I was able to defeat you so easily."

As for why she knows all this... don't worry about it.

boom!

Mo Aotian finally grasped that bit of enlightenment, and a powerful pressure instantly rose from him into the sky.

Yun Miao felt as if a huge wave was suddenly hitting her in a trance. Before she could react, an invisible force pushed her backwards quickly.

When she landed lightly on the ground and opened her eyes, she found herself standing at the entrance of the medicine house, holding Xiao Hei in her arms. In the distance, dark clouds rolled in, and the wind blew violently, as if a rainstorm would fall at any moment.

Beneath the dark clouds, a black dragon several dozen feet long, its eyes tightly closed, lay in the fields. The water in the surrounding dry ditches and paddy fields seemed to be drawn towards it, forming a massive water-colored vortex with it as its center.

Yun Miao immediately used the spiritual sense scanning function, and saw that the scenery in front of him changed instantly. Countless water spirits emitting sparkling water light in the sky and earth were rushing towards Mo Aotian with the grandeur of rivers flowing into the sea.

A large amount of water spirit energy was taken into his body like a whale, but more water spirit energy was still pouring in. The water spirit energy that he had no time to absorb gradually formed a vortex and surged violently around his body.

The strong wind caused the peach trees in the orchard, which were only as thick as bowls, to sway continuously. Countless thin branches and green leaves were swept into the strong wind, and it seemed that the peach trees themselves would be completely broken in the next second.

Almost the next second after Mo Aotian's epiphany, a cry of surprise came from the medicine room: "My peach tree! Even if you want to have an epiphany, please don't harm my tree!"

A round figure rushed out from the orchard. With a wave of his hand, countless vines grew out of the orchard, forming green walls to protect the orchard.

Yun Miao was also shocked when she heard this. Oh no, her vegetable garden!

Wait, it looks like her vegetable patch only has weeds... Oh, that's fine.

At this moment, Niu Rao, who had sensed an unusual movement in the nearby spiritual energy, also rushed over from his residence. He was shocked when he saw the strange phenomenon surrounding Mo Aotian: "Peak Master, this can't be..."

Isn't it said that sudden enlightenment is a rare and great opportunity? What day was it recently? Why are so many people having sudden enlightenment?!

Tian Laokou walked back with a calm expression, waving his sleeves, as if he didn't find this surprising at all.

"It's just an epiphany, there's no need to make such a fuss. It's just right that you come to help Mo Aotian protect the law. I have something else to do..."

Seeing this, Niu Rao couldn't help but feel ashamed for his fuss and sat down not far from Mo Aotian to protect him. As he clearly felt the surge of spiritual energy, he couldn't help but be surprised again.

With such a strong spiritual energy vortex, what on earth did Mo Aotian realize that suddenly caused such a big commotion?

Niu Rao stroked his horns and looked around in confusion, unable to fathom what in the fields could have caused Mo Aotian to have such an epiphany. Could it be that while working, Mo Aotian suddenly understood the hard work of farmers, grasped the meaning of "sweat drips down to the soil, every grain of rice is the product of hard work"[Note 1], leading to this epiphany?

If that's the case, then maybe he could ask Mo Aotian for some advice on farming later.

In the past few years, Master Tian Feng has not allowed him to work in the fields and has only ordered him to be a supervisor. His plowing speed must have dropped a lot. It is time for him to further his studies.

Even if he and Mo Aotian were friends, he would never give up the title of Danfeng's number one farming bull! Moo!

*

On the other side, the seemingly indifferent Tian Laokou just walked to the door and stretched out his hand like lightning to pull Yun Miao into the medicine house.

He first looked her up and down carefully, then said in a serious tone: "Although I don't know who you are, I advise you to get off my nephew as soon as possible, otherwise don't blame me for being rude!"

Xiao Hei, who was held in Yun Miao's arms, looked up at him and jumped to the ground silently.

Tian Laokou: "...I didn't say you."

He simply ignored the little wolf cub, barely larger than the sole of his shoe, and glared at Yun Miao sternly once more: "You, get off my nephew quickly! Otherwise, I'll call my headmaster. My headmaster is at the peak of the Mahayana stage, and with one palm he can smack you, a wandering ghost who has taken over another's body, into pieces."

Yun Miao looked back in confusion, indicating that she didn't understand what Tian Laokou was talking about.

Tian Laokou sneered, "I heard everything you just said. Although I don't know who you, Master Yun, are, based on what you said, I can tell that you must be a cunning, sinister, and vicious old monster who knows a lot about us humans and likes to pick your feet."

Yun Miao's face darkened: "I don't like picking my feet. You're the one who likes picking your feet!"

Tian Laokou was surprised: "How did you know? You didn't know that I made buns without washing my hands after picking my feet, did you?"

As he spoke, he seemed to feel itchy on his feet, so he immediately lifted his left foot, kicked off his straw sandals, and rubbed the itchy right leg.

Yun Miao and Xiao Hei's expressions changed, and then they both retched.

"Haha, who told you to eat grass on purpose to frame me? You must be scared now."

Tian Laokou put on his shoes with a smile of success, but he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

It turns out that he wasn't possessed by a ghost. He was scared to death.

-----------------------

The author has something to say: [Note 1]: From "Song of Pity the Peasants (II)"