Chapter 2228 Raw 2334 : Long Chat over Wine
The one who arrived was indeed Mo Chen, the Dragon’s Gate Mo Chen. The Mo Chen with the stubborn character. The top beauty of the Cloud Sea Domain who dared to ruin her great beauty.
Life is without roots, like dust floating above the roads.
[TL Note: This is the first line of a poem called “Life is without roots.” It means that one drifted around in life, being pushed around by the various things that happen. Also, this might be a play on Mo Chen’s name. The character for Mo means road, and the character for Chen means dust.]
The lush mountains never show regret, and the clear water always seeks out its path; the mountains and rivers always meet.
[TL Note: This seems to be another poem. It likely speaks of how memories of the past never change and that people will eventually meet again.]
The two stared at each other for a long time, falling into a daze. Countless emotions felt like silk threads winding around the heart.
The servant who led the way sensed that the two knew each other already, so he took his leave and withdrew.
This left Xiao Chen and Mo Chen alone in the pavilion. They seemed to have many things to say but did not know where to start.
After a while, the blushing Mo Chen smiled faintly. “Big Brother Xiao, are you going to just keep looking at me? No matter how long you look, flowers won’t appear on my face.”
Xiao Chen returned to himself and also smiled faintly. Then, he said softly, “Speaking of flowers, they are not as beautiful as you.”
“Hehe! After all this time since we last met, Big Brother Xiao has learned how to joke.”
Mo Chen felt very moved upon seeing Xiao Chen. She had built up a lot of anticipation for meeting him, putting in a lot of effort, and persevered for that sake.
However, after seeing Xiao Chen, she found that she did not feel as excited and rash as she thought she would be, only a gentle warmth flowing past her heart.
With only one look, she knew that her Big Brother Xiao was still the Big Brother Xiao from back then. His face and his hidden heart had not changed.
Mo Chen was already past the age of a young woman yearning for love. At this moment, Mo Chen suddenly felt that Xiao Chen had always been around, never going far.
Otherwise, why would she not feel any unfamiliarity or distance after not meeting for so many years?
The feeling was still the same as before, as natural as before. It was like it never changed at all.
This was because Xiao Chen had indeed always been around. He had been around in her heart, her dreams, and her most cherished memories. While he was not physically around, he had always been in her heart.
As time passed, and the merciless years passed, the Big Brother Xiao in her heart did not change much.
Now, when Mo Chen saw Xiao Chen, it felt like she returned to her dreams, to her best memories. However, she clearly felt the passing of time. The subtle, mystical feeling was hard to describe.
“Is there wine? I have finished all my Thousand Year Flame already,” Xiao Chen said, feeling somewhat embarrassed when he saw Mo Chen looking straight at him with a faint smile on her beautiful face.
“There is.”
Mo Chen meekly took out a bottle and placed it on a table in front of Xiao Chen. The gentleness and smile on her face did not fade as she poured some wine for him.
Xiao Chen shook the cup slightly until the Golden Crow flew out and circled him. Then, he drank all the wine in one go. A flame burned in his veins, giving him a pleasant, delightful feeling.
He had not tasted the Thousand Year Flame in a long time. This cup of wine was genuinely delightful.
“Great wine. You should drink too.”
“Alright.”
After a few cups, Xiao Chen sighed softly, “A few years ago, I saw the Thousand Year Flame that the Heavenly Fragrance’s Holy Daughter brought to Peach Blossom City. That was when I knew that you had come to the Great Thousand Realms. I did not expect to meet you in the Heavenly Alliance’s headquarters.”
Mo Chen put down her wine cup and said, “It is a long story. Actually, I managed to become Master Ku Yun’s disciple only because of the Heavenly Fragrance’s Holy Daughter.”
“Oh?” Xiao Chen let out a somewhat startled cry. To think that there was such a reason! He immediately listened attentively.
“By coincidence, she obtained my Thousand Year Flame. After that, she used the influence of the Heavenly Fragrance Holy Land to search for me.” Mo Chen paused at this point before continuing, “In the end, she managed to find me. At that time, I happily followed the Heavenly Fragrance’s people to the Central Great Realm’s Desolate Sea. I believed that with Big Brother Xiao’s capabilities, you would make your way to the Central Great Realm sooner or later.”
Xiao Chen thought to himself, At that time, the Heavenly Fragrance’s Holy Daughter did indeed appear very interested in the Thousand Year Flame. She even once said that she put in a lot of effort to find the brewer but failed to do so.
Unexpectedly, the Heavenly Fragrance’s Holy Daughter really managed to find Mo Chen.
“After that, I stayed at the Heavenly Fragrance, helping the Holy Daughter manage the Heavenly Fragrance’s brewery. I also wanted to ask about Big Brother Xiao. However, while the Holy Daughter was polite, I kept feeling a distance between us, so I did not dare to ask too much, only keeping it in my heart.”
Xiao Chen nodded. He had met the Heavenly Fragrance’s Holy Daughter before. There always was a layer of fog covering her face, making it indistinct. Saying that there was distance was a nice way of putting it. In coarser terms, she was aloof, appearing like she looked down on everyone.
“Master and the Heavenly Fragrance’s Holy Master know each other and frequently drink together. He noticed me the first time we met and said that I had talent in blacksmithing and that it would be a waste of talent for me to brew wine. He insisted on taking me in as his disciple. The Heavenly Fragrace’s Holy Master said that I lucked out. At that time, I did not understand. Now, I somewhat understand what place I have come to.”
Mo Chen spoke about her experience in the Great Thousand Realms slowly, giving Xiao Chen a summary.
“Did you not know that I was in the Heavenly Alliance?” Xiao Chen asked, finding it strange. He had some fame in the Heavenly Alliance. If Mo Chen asked around a little, she should have known.
Mo Chen shook her head and said, “I did not know. I have been in the Heavenly Alliance for only one year and have not even left the blacksmithing workshop yet. After I came to know that the Heavenly Alliance was a super faction, I became more cautious. Previously, I secretly asked around about Big Brother Xiao. However, I heard that Big Brother Xiao vanished without a trace after the Peach Blossom Wine Festival. Then, I could not get any more news about you.”
Xiao Chen pondered this. Indeed, Mo Chen had no way of finding out about him if she had been in the Heavenly Alliance for only one year. He thought back to his first year in the Heavenly Alliance. At first, he could only remain in his residence; he could not have known that Mo Chen came to the blacksmithing workshop.
After the Peach Blossom Wine Festival, ordinary people would only know that Xiao Chen vanished without a trace. Those people would not even have heard of super factions. How could Mo Chen find any concrete information about his whereabouts? That made things difficult for her. If the two did not meet by coincidence today, who knew when they could meet after he left the Heavenly Alliance’s headquarters?
“Let’s not speak about this for now. How are my old friends from the Kunlun Realm? Were Big Brother Ying and the others still doing well?”
Xiao Chen missed his old friends from the Kunlun Realm a lot. However, he could not return to the Kunlun Realm at the moment, so he could not get any news about them.
Now that Mo Chen was here, he could ask her.
“They were still fine. After the Demonic Calamity, there were many things to be done. The Dragon’s Gate rose, and the various races and sects put down their prejudices and elected the Dragon’s Gate as the leader. Big Brother Xiao’s previous dream of revitalizing the Dragon’s Gate has already been fulfilled. Now, more than one hundred thousand Dragon’s Gate disciples worship the totem that Big Brother Xiao left behind. It felt to me like the totem was slowly gaining life. Also…everyone misses you.”
“Given that, it means that the Heavenly Dao did not erase my existence?”
Mo Chen nodded and said, “No. As far as I know, everyone still remembers Big Brother Xiao. No one forgot you.”
Xiao Chen entered deep thought. In the past, the Heavenly Dao would erase all traces of the people who left. Be it memories or words, they all vanished. It would be like they never existed.
However, this did not happen to Xiao Chen. This seemed somewhat strange.
“Perhaps all traces of me were erased,” Mo Chen said with a somewhat sad expression. After all, that was her hometown. To have lived there for decades yet be mercilessly erased, no one would find this acceptable.
Xiao Chen said softly, “That might not be so. It might have something to do with the Black Lotus Church’s tampering, influencing the Kunlun Realm’s Heavenly Dao. There is no rush. I will investigate this, and we can return to the Kunlun Realm together in the future.”
“There is a chance to return?” Mo Chen asked, a bright light of anticipation flashing in her eyes.
Xiao Chen thought for a while. With his current strength, it would be somewhat difficult to activate the Divine Universe Stele to bring him alone back. Bringing two would be even more challenging.
However, who knew what the future held? When Xiao Chen replicated the Dao Platform in the Azure Dragons’ old lands in the Divine Universe Stele, he clearly felt the Kunlun Realm’s Azure Dragon Totem beyond the sea. This gave him hope.
“There will be a chance.”
Xiao Chen stood up and said, “Let’s not talk about this first. I would like to take you away. Come with me to the Yanwu Dynasty.”
“The Yanwu Dynasty?”
“Yes.”
Upon seeing Mo Chen’s confusion, Xiao Chen explained his becoming a Rank 6 envoy inspector and overseeing a region.
“Mo Chen, are you willing to help me again? Just like previously, when you helped me establish the Kunlun Realm’s Dragon’s Gate and slowly build it up?” Xiao Chen asked sincerely.
Mo Chen smiled faintly. She recalled the various events of the past, how the powerhouses of the four seas came to cause trouble and gave a “great gift” each to destroy the newly reestablished Dragon’s Gate.
Xiao Chen had not panicked in the face of danger. He had held up his saber and danced in the sky, catching all the “great gifts.”
There were too many stories between the two. It would take several days and nights to discuss them.
Now that Mo Chen appeared in the Great Thousand Realms and Xiao Chen asked her for her help again, naturally, her answer went without saying.
“Mo Chen will always remain Big Brother’s closest intimate friend. As long as Big Brother Xiao is willing to have Mo Chen by your side, how could Mo Chen refuse? However, I’m afraid that my master will not be willing to let me go,” Mo Chen replied softly with a faint smile. Undetectable tender sentiments flashed in her eyes.
Xiao Chen smiled and said, “It’s fine. It’s settled, then. I will deal with speaking to Master Ku Yun.”
“Alright. Big Brother Xiao, let’s take a look at the sacred tool you want restored first. Don’t forget about the proper matters.”
When Xiao Chen heard this, he could not help smiling in embarrassment. He had totally forgotten about the so-called proper matters once he saw Mo Chen.
Or perhaps, it should be said that meeting Mo Chen was the proper matter. How could the sacred tool compare to that?