Chapter 1101: Mo Li, Little Mo Li
In the pitch-black world, consciousness slowly revived.
Yun Che opened his eyes and saw a petite red figure standing before him, silently watching him.
Her exquisitely beautiful face was full of pride and coldness. She wore her favorite red flowing dress, with long crimson hair cascading down to her waist and hips, making her already slender frame appear even more delicate.
“Mo… Li…” Yun Che called out softly. Even though he knew he was in a dream, his soul trembled with excitement he couldn't contain.
“Brought yourself to such a state again. Could it be because of another woman?” Mo Li stared at him, her gaze and tone so familiar, along with her posture of trying to act with the authority of a master.
“Heh heh…” Yun Che chuckled. “It really is. Her name is Xiao Mo Li.”
“Hmph!” Mo Li was angry. “When will you ever learn to cherish your own life? During the years I was with you, I made many misjudgments about you, but there’s one thing that’s absolutely certain—if you ever end up utterly dead, it will definitely be because of a woman!”
“If it’s for you,” Yun Che looked at her and said firmly, “I wouldn’t hesitate.”
“…Idiot!” She scolded him heavily, but turned her back to him, her gaze moving away. “When we parted, I already told you: our fate is over. There is no connection anymore, and there will be no chance to meet again.”
“Live well, and don’t have any more futile hopes… even if it’s for my sake.”
Her voice faded away, and her misty figure gradually blurred.
“Mo Li… Mo Li! Don’t leave yet! I have so much to say to you… Mo Li!!”
Yun Che sat up with a jolt. The intense pain hitting his entire body instantly brought him back to consciousness, and his vision quickly cleared.
It seemed to be a natural cave. A pile of burning wood gave off bright flames. A girl in colorful clothes was sitting in front of him with her legs folded, her hands cupping her cheeks, her pitch-black eyes fixed unblinkingly on him.
“You’re awake so soon. I thought you’d be asleep for a long time.” Xiao Mo Li still held her cheeks in her hands, squeezing her cute little face between her palms. After speaking, she muttered softly, “After all, you were hurt so badly.”
“How long was I asleep?”
His head throbbed intensely. Yun Che instinctively pressed his forehead and took a long time to ease it slightly.
The mental exhaustion this time far exceeded the physical, and it would probably take a long time to fully recover.
Xiao Mo Li tilted her head slightly, thought for a moment, and said, “Seems like two or three hours. Oh, by the way, Brother-in-Law, you kept calling out the name ‘Sister Mo Li’ in your sleep.”
“…” Yun Che held his breath for a moment, then slowly sat up straight, leaning his back against the stone wall. The darkness outside had a bit of faint light; it was already the latter half of the night. “Where is this? Did you bring me here?”
“Of course it was me. Did you think it was those bad people?” Xiao Mo Li pouted. “I don’t know exactly where this is, but it’s very safe. There’s nothing around. Brother-in-Law, you should thank me properly! If I hadn’t worked so hard to bring you to such a safe place, you’d probably be eaten by profound beasts by now.”
“…” Yun Che didn’t speak, slowly recovering his energy. But before his eyes, the red figure from his dream still floated, impossible to dispel.
“Mo Li…” His vision grew blurry as he unconsciously murmured.
Xiao Mo Li’s lips parted slightly. She stared blankly at Yun Che’s dazed expression for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Brother-in-Law, are you very angry with me right now?”
“…” Yun Che snapped back to reality and finally glared at Xiao Mo Li. “What do you think? Forget last time, but this time you almost got me killed!”
“Hehehe.” Xiao Mo Li stuck out her tongue. “Actually… actually both times, I deliberately let those bad guys find me because I knew you were nearby. Otherwise, there’s no way they could have caught me.”
“You!” Yun Che turned his head sharply, his gaze fixed. “You really aren’t as simple as you seem. Who exactly are you… Why do you want to harm me!?”
“I’m not trying to harm you, Brother-in-Law. I just…” Xiao Mo Li’s brows curved as she said with a smile, “I just wanted to see if you would risk danger to come save me.”
“Hmph!” Yun Che frowned and said irritably, “We have no relation. What made you so sure I would risk my life to save you?”
“Of course it’s because I’m so pretty and so cute. Brother-in-Law definitely wouldn’t bear to see me suffer even the slightest bit of harm.” Xiao Mo Li said crisply without any hesitation.
Yun Che: “…”
“Hmm, actually, there’s another… very small reason.” Xiao Mo Li’s voice dropped a few notches. “I wanted to know if Brother-in-Law would refuse to abandon me because I share the same name as Sister Mo Li… I never thought Brother-in-Law would actually be such a huge idiot!”
Xiao Mo Li’s words struck Yun Che’s exact weak point.
The biggest reason—maybe even the only reason—he had risked his life time and again to save this girl who had nothing to do with him was that she was called “Xiao Mo Li.”
Whether it was a coincidence or something she made up on the spot, for Yun Che, who had come to the God Realm alone for Mo Li and whose entire soul was filled with her, the name “Xiao Mo Li” inevitably touched his heart deeply. He resented her for using this name, disliked her insistence on calling Mo Li “Sister Mo Li” and calling him “Brother-in-Law”…
Yet, imperceptibly, it had left a subtle mark in his heart.
When Xiao Mo Li fell into danger, that overlapping image kept flashing before him, making it impossible for him to ignore.
“…There won’t be a next time. And stop calling me Brother-in-Law. Hiss…”
His tone was a bit harsh, aggravating his wounds. Yun Che winced in pain, his body trembling slightly.
Unexpectedly, when faced with Yun Che’s reprimand, Xiao Mo Li was no longer the willful, unreasonable, and uncaring girl she had been before. Instead, she bit her lip lightly, a look on her small face that seemed both guilty and wronged, her eyes glistening with fear. “Brother-in-Law, I already know I was wrong. At the time, I just thought it was fun. I didn’t think it would hurt you like this.”
She reached out, gently touching the wound on Yun Che’s chest, wanting to touch but afraid. “Does it hurt a lot? I promise I won’t do it again. Absolutely not.”
Her pitiful admission of fault left Yun Che with all his anger and resentment stuck in his throat, unable to vent. Finally, he shook his head helplessly and said, “Forget it. As long as you realize your mistake…”
Before he could finish, Xiao Mo Li’s eyes lit up, and she cried out, “I knew Brother-in-Law wouldn’t be mad at me! Hehehe! Brother-in-Law, while you were sleeping, you called out Sister Mo Li’s name more than ten times. You even risked danger to save me because of Sister Mo Li. You’re so good to Sister Mo Li. No wonder she was willing to marry you!”
“…” Yun Che took a light breath and said, “Since you’ve been honest with me, I’ll be honest with you too. Mo Li… she’s not my wife. She’s my master.”
“Huh?” Xiao Mo Li’s mouth fell open. “Master? Ah… Eee… Then Brother-in-Law must respect her a lot, right?”
“Respect?” Yun Che lifted his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know what my feelings for her are. She is my master, but she is more than just my master.”
Xiao Mo Li didn’t interrupt, quietly watching his expression at that moment, her eyes unblinking.
“She taught me so many things, but I never felt the reverence one should have for a master. She saved me countless times; without her, I would have perished long ago. Yet it seems I have never felt gratitude toward her as my savior. She is the person in this world who scolds me the most and the harshest, yet I have never been the slightest bit angry about it. Instead… I dream of her scolding me a thousand times, ten thousand times more.”
These words slipped out unconsciously. For Mo Li, he had come to the God Realm. He had met countless people, yet he remained alone. Mo Li, buried deep in his heart, was a terrible taboo here, something he could never speak of.
Now, in front of this “Xiao Mo Li,” who so earnestly called him brother-in-law, amid his hazy consciousness, the urge to confide became unstoppable.
“I’ve always known we were from two different worlds. But I never expected our parting to be so sudden, so final.”
“After she left, I felt as if half of me was gone. At first, I thought I was just used to relying on her power and the sense of security she gave me. But later, I gradually understood: what I was used to was her, all of her. Without her, there will always be an emptiness in my life that can never be filled.”
Xiao Mo Li opened her mouth slightly and said softly, “So… are you looking for her?”
“Mn,” Yun Che, still in his hazy state, didn’t notice the strangeness in Xiao Mo Li’s words. He spoke as if half to himself, “I come from the lower realms. I came to the God Realm just to see her again… No matter what, I have to find her. Even if it’s just for a proper farewell.”
Yun Che closed his eyes… If, after finding Mo Li, all he got was a goodbye, could he really be content and let go?
“You came to the God Realm to find Sister Mo Li… is that your only reason?” Xiao Mo Li asked.
“Mn.” Yun Che answered without hesitation.
“…” Xiao Mo Li’s gaze flickered in slight disorder. She bit her lip and asked softly, “Then where is she? How will you find her?”
“I know where she is, but it’s a place I can never reach.” Yun Che gave a faint smile. “But I’ve already found a way to see her again. If I can just find two more things, then two years from now, I will definitely be able to see her.”
“Oh? What things?” The little hand grabbed Yun Che’s arm, unconsciously swaying it. “Tell me, tell me! Maybe I’ve heard of them.”
Yun Che smiled casually and said, “Those two things are called the Nine-Star Buddha God Jade and the Royal Immortal Herb.”
“Nine-Star Buddha God Jade… Royal Immortal Herb…” Xiao Mo Li muttered it once, blinking her eyes… She seemed to have heard of them, but then again, maybe not.
“These are very rare things. It’s normal if you don’t know.” Not surprised by her confused look, Yun Che, having spoken so much unconsciously, felt his consciousness growing heavy again. He glanced at the sky outside, began to focus, and silently started circulating the Great Dao Pagoda Art. “I need to heal now. It’s best if you don’t disturb me. You should rest too. After dawn, I’ll take you away from here.”
“Oh.” Xiao Mo Li responded absently.
As the Great Dao Pagoda Art circulated, Yun Che quickly entered a meditative state, and both his body and spirit began to recover rapidly.
“Such strange names. It seems we don’t have them at home either.” Xiao Mo Li remained in a thoughtful state, trying hard to think for a long time, until finally her eyes lit up.
“Ah, right! I can ask those old grandfathers from the Tianji Realm!”
Her mind made up, the girl immediately became cheerful. She stood up and flew away in an instant, disappearing from sight.