Chapter Forty-Two: Accepting a Favor

“I feel like I’ve heard that name before—Cang Hai!” Ruoxi bowed her head and thought to herself.

“Greetings, Elder Cang Hai!” Mo Shan said.

That single greeting seemed to strike a chord deep in Cang Hai’s heart. He immediately threw back his head and laughed aloud.

“Seas turn to mulberry fields, and fortunes rise and fall. I never thought anyone would still call me that!”

“Tell me, Mo Shan, have you ever considered taking a master?” Cang Hai asked.

“Take a master?” Mo Shan was taken aback. Take a master—who would that be? Back at Ruoxi’s home, Lin Feng had given him a manual. Did that count as taking him as a master?

A thousand thoughts flashed through Mo Shan’s mind. He turned to look at Ruoxi, seeking her opinion.

Across from him, Ruoxi nodded, then seemed to reconsider and shook her head. Her gaze suggested she wanted him to make his own decision.

Mo Shan lowered his head. Cang Hai was powerful, an excellent cook, and after only a short time together, Mo Shan already found him likable. But he still wondered if Cang Hai could help him realize the desire buried deep in his heart.

What could he teach me? Mo Shan wondered silently.

“Ah well. Since you didn’t answer me right away, it shows we are not destined. Let’s pretend I never brought up the matter of accepting you as a disciple.” Cang Hai laughed, as if mocking his own inability to win over the apprentice he desired.

Cang Hai gazed eastward, his brows knitting together as though he sensed a strong scent of blood. He began to make divinations with his right hand, and after a moment, his frown deepened, lines creasing his forehead. With a sigh, he dropped his hand and stood up.

“Wait—” Mo Shan reached out, but then drew back his hand.

“This is my token. Meeting even once is rare, and that, too, is fate,” Cang Hai said without turning around.

“If you ever need anything, go to the highest peak. Present this token, and your request will be granted—one wish, whatever it may be!”

As he finished speaking, a token appeared in Cang Hai’s hand, soared through the air in a perfect arc, and landed squarely in Mo Shan’s palm as he reached up to catch it.

“Go home soon! Things aren’t safe lately—especially…” Cang Hai’s figure vanished, but his voice echoed around them. The rest of his words faded quickly, leaving no memory of what he had said.

“What is happening? Why is the scent of blood so heavy? Even if that thing breaks free, he should be able to contain it! Just what is going on?” Cang Hai muttered as he strode eastward.

That was precisely the direction of the small town where Ruoxi lived.

…

As soon as the token touched his skin, a chill spread from Mo Shan’s palm through his entire body, as if even his blood flowed more sluggishly.

“Wudang Sect!” Three bold characters shone at the token’s center, written in a powerful, sweeping script. Mysterious carvings surrounded the inscription.

“This is no ordinary trinket!” Ruoxi nodded in admiration.

“Elder Cang Hai has given you a true treasure!”

“What kind of treasure?” Mo Shan asked.

“This token can be used as currency, as a weapon, even as a martial technique! Whatever you desire, perhaps it can grant it!” Ruoxi laughed.

“This is a favor, and throughout the whole province, it is the most precious one you could ever receive—utterly unmatched!”

“So powerful?” Mo Shan was inwardly shocked. For a mere acquaintance, Cang Hai had offered to take him as a disciple and even bestowed such a rare gift.

Mo Shan gripped the token tightly in his fist, his gaze lingering in the direction Cang Hai had gone.