Immortal Mortal Chapter 3: Mortal Roots

Mo Wuji calmly informed Hu Fei, "I'm still a member of the Northern Qin Prefecture's royal clan. Despite not ascending to the throne, I retain my noble title. Do you dare to harm a nobleman like me? Hu Fei, I warn you, even dismemberment by five horses or being sliced into a thousand pieces would be too lenient a punishment for you."

Hu Fei flinched, realizing that even a weakened duke like Mo Wuji was still part of the royal clan, someone the commoner Hu Fei couldn't afford to offend.

Whether Mo Wuji truly remained affiliated with the royal clan was beyond Hu Fei's purview. However, Mo Wuji was correct in asserting that harming a noble would warrant extreme penalties, with the mentioned punishments being on the lighter side.

Comprehending the severe repercussions of harming nobility, Hu Fei quickly replied, "My King, I was merely jesting. I would never dare to lay a hand on you."

Hu Fei saw no immediate need to dispose of Mo Wuji, as he had ample leisure to meticulously verify the validity of Mo Wuji's noble title.

Mo Wuji calmly approached Hu Fei and accepted the knife from his grasp.

"What a fine blade..." The moment Mo Wuji held the knife, he recognized its exceptional sharpness.

Having relinquished the knife, Hu Fei instinctively retreated several paces, warily scrutinizing Mo Wuji.

Yan'Er watched the tense standoff, her heart in her mouth. Even with the knife now in Mo Wuji's possession, she couldn't suppress her anxiety. Having served Mo Wuji for an extended period, she was acutely aware that he was now a commoner, stripped of any noble status.

Consequently, if Mo Wuji were to assault Hu Fei, even if Hu Fei retaliated and killed Mo Wuji, the former would at most face a minor penalty.

Gazing at the knife, Mo Wuji met Hu Fei's eyes and declared, "Hu Fei, I'm not invoking my status to intimidate you. Even if I'm no longer part of the royal clan, my ancestors were once dukes. You won't escape consequences for harming their descendant. Is assaulting the descendant of royal blood not tantamount to disrespecting the Cheng Yu State itself?"

Mo Wuji finished with a cold smirk.

Hu Fei continued to ponder Mo Wuji's royal lineage. If Mo Wuji were indeed a royal, Hu Fei felt confident in defeating him, even with the knife in Mo Wuji's hand. However, Mo Wuji's latest words quickly dispelled this notion, prompting Hu Fei to respond, "My King, a humble servant like myself was just joking with you earlier."

Hu Fei also found himself puzzled by the abrupt shift in Mo Wuji's demeanor.

"I am no longer your King. Scram before I reconsider," Mo Wuji stated, tucking Hu Fei's knife into his boot.

"Yes, yes, Master Mo, take care." Hu Fei watched Mo Wuji sheath the knife and depart, his heart aching at the loss.

That knife had always been his, and he never expected to be relieved of it. It was impossible to deny the sting of its loss.

"Master, you are no longer..." After Hu Fei departed, Yan'Er cautiously approached and whispered to Mo Wuji.

Mo Wuji cut her off, saying, "I know. We'll discuss it when we return."

Even without Yan'Er's reminder, Mo Wuji had already deduced his non-royal status.

...

Their living quarters were exceedingly cramped, with a single worn cloth dividing the two rudimentary wooden beds. The dwelling contained nothing of value. Mo Wuji understood that anything remotely precious, even a single copper coin, would have been bartered by Yan'Er in exchange for sweets to share with the neighborhood children.

Mo Wuji observed his reflection in the scratched mirror above his bed. He bore a striking resemblance to his past life. His long, unkempt hair was neatly tied by Yan'Er. Although his complexion was pale, it was significantly healthier than Yan'Er's sallow, thin face. Apart from the weariness in his eyes, his sharp eyebrows and aquiline nose lent him a reasonably handsome appearance.

"Master, I'll go borrow some rice from Aunt Lu's house..." Yan'Er announced as she entered. She still regretted that Mo Wuji hadn't taken the packet of pig's head meat from Hu Fei instead of the knife.

"Wait..." Mo Wuji halted Yan'Er.

Upon seeing Yan'Er turn her head, looking at him with curiosity, Mo Wuji inquired, "Yan'Er, Hu Fei appeared to be skilled in martial arts, possessing far greater strength than I. He's a ruffian, but where did he acquire such training?"

From Mo Wuji's recollection, this world wasn't replete with martial arts experts. What right did Hu Fei possess to learn such skills, when even a nobleman like himself could not?

An expression of disdain crossed Yan’Er’s face as she retorted, “Hu Fei merely picked up a few trivial techniques; he can’t even awaken his spirit. How can he be considered a true martial artist? I recall your grandfather mentioning that your great-grandfather was a genuine spiritual martial artist.”

“What does it mean to awaken the spirit?” Mo Wuji inquired anxiously. His memories were a blank slate, save for his previous world. Was it possible that his assumptions were wrong and this place still permitted the mastery of martial arts?

A surge of excitement coursed through him at the very thought. If mastering martial arts was truly possible now, he would pour all his efforts into it. That way, if he ever managed to return to Earth, he could confront her and demand a personal explanation: “Why?”

Yan’Er wasn’t particularly surprised by Mo Wuji’s ignorance regarding the awakening of the spirit. What truly baffled her was his newfound curiosity, especially since the young master had always been indifferent to such matters.

Nevertheless, she decided to impart her knowledge. “Awakening the spirit involves stimulating the spiritual roots of individuals possessing them, thereby opening their spiritual channels. Only those with awakened roots and opened channels can cultivate and master martial arts. I’ve heard that opening more channels during the initial awakening signifies superior spiritual roots.”

Mo Wuji immediately grasped two crucial points from Yan’Er’s explanation. Firstly, one needed spiritual roots to learn martial arts. Secondly, one must be capable of opening their spiritual network.

“Yan’Er, why didn’t Old Master bring me to awaken my spirit?” Mo Wuji asked, his excitement palpable.

Yan’Er’s tone grew somber. “When Old Master first arrived in Rao Zhou City, he was preoccupied with the succession. By the time he realized it was no longer feasible, he intended for you to learn martial arts. Old Master saved diligently to afford the tests for your roots and the awakening of your spirit. However, the tests revealed that you possessed mortal roots, just like Old Master. Individuals with mortal roots typically cannot awaken their roots and are thus unable to learn martial arts.”

“What are mortal roots?” Mo Wuji’s heart sank, yet he pressed on with his question.

Having faced death, what else could he possibly find unacceptable?

Sensing Mo Wuji’s disappointment, Yan’Er sighed. “I’ve heard Old Master say that one’s roots significantly influence their martial arts prospects. Generally, those without spiritual roots are termed as having mortal roots, also known as useless roots. People with mortal roots are no different from ordinary individuals.

Conversely, those with spiritual roots can cultivate, and the grade of one’s spiritual roots can be further categorized into low, medium, high, and top tiers. I’ve heard whispers of levels even exceeding the top tier, but I’m uncertain about their specifics.”

“So, I only have mortal roots…” Mo Wuji could no longer mask his disappointment upon hearing Yan’Er’s words.

Yan’Er attempted to console him. “Young Master, even within Cheng Yu State itself, individuals with spiritual roots are a rarity. The majority of people, like us, possess mortal roots, yet they live ordinary lives. I’m certain we will too.”

Mo Wuji clenched his fist. “Yan’Er, I’ll find some work starting tomorrow. I want to save up some money and prepare to attempt the awakening of my spirit once more.”

“Ah…” Yan’Er appeared taken aback by Mo Wuji’s resolute decision but grasped his intention. “Young Master, please don’t. Back then, Old Master painstakingly saved money for your root test. Even knowing you had mortal roots, he still attempted to awaken your spirit, only to discover that mortal roots can never transform into spiritual roots. Not long after this attempt, Old Master passed away from an illness…”

Yan’Er’s words, though perhaps subtly phrased, conveyed a clear message to Mo Wuji. Had the Old Master not pursued the awakening of Mo Wuji’s spirit back then, he might have lived, albeit in poverty. This strongly implied that the cost involved was far from insignificant. However, having experienced two different lifetimes, Mo Wuji was not as naive as Yan’Er might assume. Mo Guangyuan's demise coinciding with the attempt to awaken Mo Wuji's spirit was unlikely to be a mere coincidence of illness. It suggested a more complex underlying cause, and if he were to pursue awakening his spirit, extreme caution would be necessary.

“Don’t worry, Yan’Er. I’m confident I can earn the money. Starting tomorrow, you won’t need to borrow rice from Aunt Lu anymore; I’ll take care of us,” Mo Wuji assured her, walking over to gently stroke Yan’Er’s thin, yellowish hair.

Considering Yan’Er's youth, one could only imagine the immense sacrifices she made when Mo XingHe’s parents passed away, leaving her to care for a mentally unsound Mo XingHe.