Capítulo 93: Chapter 93: A Calculated Guess

These disciples, after joining a sect at a young age, often undergo years of indoctrination. Even if they were taught about family honor in their childhood, after two or three decades in the sect, they generally become more loyal to the sect than to their mortal families. Over time, the noble families of the capital came to realize that even the most talented child could only serve as their backing for two or three decades at most.

As a result, in the upper circles of the capital, the strength and future of a family were often judged by whether they had produced a child with dual spiritual roots or better within the last twenty to thirty years. If not, the family was expected to decline in the power struggle among the elites until another talented offspring emerged.

Given these circumstances, the pressure on Mo Yuanjiao, who possessed a rare single fire spiritual root but refused to join any sect, was immense. The only reason he was allowed to act on his whims was because the Mo family truly cherished him.

But the recent disciple recruitment had only just ended, marking the first thirty-year cycle since the Mo family produced a talented offspring like Mo Yuanjiao. The family had some hope that, perhaps, Mo Yuanjiao might change his mind and use his family's connections to join a sect.

Because of this hope, the Mo family had not yet been ostracized by the upper echelons of society. However, as time passed and Mo Yuanjiao grew older, his value to the sects would decrease, and the Mo family's future would become uncertain.

For Mo Yuanjiao, finding the opportunity he had dreamt of was of utmost importance. It wasn't that he didn't care about his family's future, but ever since the night before the recruitment, when he had that fateful dream, any thought of joining one of the three major sects filled him with a deep sense of loss and regret.

Having read many tales of destiny, Mo Yuanjiao believed that he might be a chosen one, guided by fate. He was convinced that this was a sign from the heavens, pointing him toward a true path of cultivation. If he missed this chance, he might be passing up a genuine opportunity for immortality.

He knew that, within the three major sects, the highest cultivation level was only at the late Golden Core stage. But those stories he read often mentioned that beyond the Golden Core stage lay the Nascent Soul stage, and beyond that, even more powerful realms!

In his mind, the opportunity the heavens had shown him must be his chance to reach those higher realms.

Watching the fortune teller furrow his brow and calculate for a long time, Mo Yuanjiao grew increasingly anxious. Yet he dared not interrupt, fearing it would disturb this revered figure.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Song Jusheng opened his eyes. Seeing Mo Yuanjiao's eager expression, he thought to himself, "This boy is easy to manipulate."

Taking a sip of tea, Song Jusheng spoke calmly,

"I just calculated your fortune. Your opportunity is not simple..."

"Please enlighten me, sir!" Mo Yuanjiao immediately bowed deeply.

Stroking his beard, Song Jusheng felt pleased with himself, but he maintained a serious expression, pretending to ponder before saying,

"Your opportunity, though currently dormant, will in time flourish. When the time comes, it will bring great fortune, allowing you to rise above all others. It is an extraordinary opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Mo Yuanjiao was thrilled,

"Please, sir, tell me how I can obtain this opportunity!"

Seeing his eager expression, Song Jusheng shook his head with a knowing look,

"I can only tell you that your opportunity lies far to the east... The rest, the heavens forbid me from revealing."

He knew better than to be too specific, as that would make the lie easier to detect. However, the Shangyang Sect was indeed located directly east of the capital in Pusi Country.

Historically, the three major sects didn't publicize their exact locations. Instead, they relied on their representatives to travel to the capital for recruitment, leaving most mortals with only a vague idea of their whereabouts.

Because of this, Song Jusheng wasn't worried about being discovered. He figured that when Mo Yuanjiao eventually traveled east and reached the Shangyang Sect, he would assume that the sect was his destined opportunity and willingly join.

In his mind, this approach didn't violate the agreement between the three sects.

Satisfied with his plan, Song Jusheng pocketed the five copper coins from the table and left the teahouse without a backward glance.

Watching him leave so decisively, the naive Mo Yuanjiao took his words to heart. After all, who would go to such lengths to deceive someone for just five copper coins? And who in the capital would dare to scam someone from a noble family over such a trivial sum?

With his faith in the fortune teller's words solidified, Mo Yuanjiao quickly said goodbye to his friends and left the teahouse.

Upon returning home, he immediately sought out his father, telling him that his opportunity lay far to the east and expressing his desire to go in search of it.

After hearing the full story, General Mo remained skeptical. However, seeing his youngest son's determination, and recalling his refusal to join any of the three major sects, he thought, "Perhaps letting him travel is for the best. Who knows, maybe this opportunity is real?"

In any case, it was worth a try. If Mo Yuanjiao returned empty-handed, he might be more inclined to join one of the sects.

With this in mind, General Mo granted his son permission to travel. He even assigned his personal bodyguard to accompany Mo Yuanjiao and gave him a cherished storage bag to carry his belongings.

The very next morning, Mo Yuanjiao eagerly set off, equipped with the storage bag and riding his favorite horse, leaving the capital behind.

Behind him, his bodyguard followed, carrying a massive bundle on his back. Unfortunately, the Mo family only had one storage bag, and it wasn't enough to hold all of Mo Yuanjiao's belongings, so the bodyguard had to manage the rest.

Together, they traveled eastward, passing through three provinces and sixteen prefectures. After a month, they finally entered the territory of Hufang Province.

——

Meanwhile, back in Xiushui Village...

For three days straight, Lin Daqiu had been pulling Lin Xiao out of bed early each morning and making him kneel before his mother's grave.

Lin Xiao would kneel there daily, placing a Peach Blossom Gathering Spirit Array under his knees and cultivating while he knelt. Though the spiritual energy here couldn't compare to the sect's cultivation room, he had no choice but to seize every opportunity to cultivate since he was unwilling to use up his hanging cultivation time.

After the three days were over, Lin Xiao got up early and headed to the mountain. During these three days, Sun Yigao had fully recovered and could now join the others in daily cultivation on the mountain.