Chapter Eighty-Eight: I Will Change Your Fate

Huo Mo and Lin Nan were both stunned. They understood the element affinities, but when the discussion suddenly turned to yin and yang, they were truly at a loss.

Cang Ling looked at their blank faces and shook her head helplessly. “This is indeed not something you can understand. It has been a very long time since anyone spoke of yin and yang, to the point that on the Martial Continent there is now almost no distinction between the two; there is only the single yang affinity. But on the Mystic Continent, it is exactly the opposite. Everyone there possesses only the single yin affinity.”

“In the past, all five elements had yin and yang. Yang was the heaven, yin was the earth, and when yin and yang joined, all prospered in peace. The difference between mystics and martial practitioners was made by affinity: mystic for yin, martial for yang. Yet these so-called yin and yang were never in harmony. With the push of the Five Primordial Body bearers, the conflict between both sides grew ever fiercer. That is why the Mystic Clan and the Martial Clan fought year after year, until the Mystic-Martial Continent was finally split apart.”

“What? You mean Sister Lin is not a martial practitioner, but a mystic?” Huo Mo exclaimed in surprise. In this land, mystics existed as a foreign race, so meeting one was an almost unbelievable thing.

In truth, Huo Mo did not know that the one who had once abducted him and tried to kill him had been a rather powerful mystic. Cang Ling had simply never mentioned it, and Huo Mo had not dared ask.

Lin Nan was also somewhat flustered. She disliked this unique feeling of being set apart; she had long since grown weary of the strange looks others gave her. Hearing Huo Mo’s startled cry, her body clearly trembled, and she stepped back twice.

Cang Ling shot Huo Mo a fierce glare and said harshly, “What is the matter with a martial practitioner? What is the matter with a mystic? What is there to make such a fuss over?”

Huo Mo, chastened by her rebuke, also noticed Lin Nan’s condition and hurriedly said, “Sister Lin, I’m sorry. I was too shocked, I—”

“Enough, enough. The more you explain, the angrier I get.” Cang Ling waved him off. “Little sister Lin Nan, don’t be like that. Mystics are nothing special. Besides, you are not even a mystic, so there is even less to worry about.”

The two younger ones only grew more confused. It was like a tongue twister, changing back and forth until they were almost dizzy.

Cang Ling glared at Huo Mo again and spat, “You brat, I haven’t even finished speaking! Yes, martial practitioners and mystics are divided by yin and yang affinity, but there is one exception: the bearers of the Five Primordial Bodies. Because of their special nature, the Five Primordial Bodies are all martial practitioners of yin affinity. One thing I must make clear: all bearers of the Five Primordial Bodies are female, and only then can they possess that cursed power. Now you should understand.”

By the time Cang Ling had nearly worn her throat dry, the two of them finally showed a hint of comprehension. Cang Ling let out a breath, sat down on a faux rock to rest, and occasionally yawned, looking thoroughly exhausted.

Lin Nan slowly took two steps forward, then stood beside Huo Mo again, and asked timidly, “Then why does that happen when my battle power comes into contact with his? I can feel it—the battle powers of the two of us are like water and fire, like life and death. Whichever side is stronger can devour the other’s battle power. It’s terrifying! And why are the battle arts we cultivate so similar? The Water God Art and my innate battle art—what exactly is the relation between them?”

Lin Nan’s voice was urgent, a pile of questions crowding her mind and making her feel terribly uncomfortable. She longed to understand everything completely.

Cang Ling smiled faintly. “Little sister Lin Nan, don’t be so anxious. I will tell you all of these things one by one. First you must learn to calm yourself. Negative emotions can cause your Primordial Body to control you, and that would be very troublesome.”

Cang Ling’s tone suddenly became much more solemn. Hearing this, Lin Nan immediately steadied herself. After a long while, she finally looked at Cang Ling with calm eyes and waited for her answer.

“Little sister Lin Nan, to put it simply, this world is not one where only you few are unusual. There are many who are far more special than you, and Huo Mo and I are among them as well. That is why this brat keeps clinging to you—it is probably because you carry the same aura as he does. Your powers are the same too. Huo Mo’s Water God Transformation was also something bestowed by fate. As for the reason, I cannot reveal too much. In the end, your relationship is a variable: whether you become friends or enemies will depend on yourselves. No one, including me, can change that.” Cang Ling’s voice was low, and every word made Huo Mo and Lin Nan feel heavier and heavier at heart.

Lin Nan lowered her head, as if thinking of something. Huo Mo frowned and asked in a deep voice, “Then what should we do? My battle power will devour hers. This really is a very troublesome matter.”

“Troublesome? I don’t think so. It’s only because your battle power is still too weak, and the gap between you is too great. When the two of you draw infinitely close in strength, you won’t be saying this to me.” Cang Ling smiled as she spoke. Thinking of this, her earlier gloom vanished completely. “Heh. If you find the other four Primordial Body bearers, you’ll receive an even greater surprise. Perhaps you may even change the fate of everyone.”

“Can I change yours too?” Huo Mo suddenly asked in a low voice, staring fixedly at Cang Ling.

The smile on Cang Ling’s face slowly faded, her expression changing with startling speed.

“Perhaps. But you’re still not enough…”

“Not qualified, you mean? And not now, of course. Right now I really am not qualified enough.” Huo Mo smiled as he spoke. After saying those words, he suddenly felt his heart open wider, as if some knot within him had been untied.

Lin Nan remained silent the entire time, no one knew what she was thinking. Cang Ling merely smiled ambiguously and said, “All right, I believe you.”

——

With Huo Mo and the Xu family’s spoiled young masters absent, the entire Flame City had suddenly become much quieter. Many common folk were so moved they wept as they thanked Zhu Yan. For them, this month had been even happier than the New Year or any festival.

Yet all that visible peace was only enough to deceive the ordinary people. The Huo and Xu families had already fought countless skirmishes in secret, only restraining themselves somewhat, which was why so much blood had not been spilled.

The three fools of the Xu family truly could not come out this month. Their injuries were severe; as the saying went, “a hundred days for sinews and bones.” Even as martial practitioners, they would need at least a month or two before they could recover.

Huo Mo, however, was different. The restriction on going out was only on the surface. Given his nature, how could he waste an entire month at home in idle self-cultivation?

In the military, the worst thing is losing the initiative, and Huo Mo naturally understood that. During this month, aside from going out in disguise, he spent most of his time in the Divine Strategy Hall. It had to be said that the power of this intelligence organization under the Huo family was truly extraordinary.

Of course, there were many twists and turns along the way. When the people of the Divine Strategy Hall learned that Huo Mo had taken over the hall, each of them sprang up like monkeys with their tails stepped on. Even Huo Yihu’s orders had no effect, which gave Huo Yihu quite a headache.

However, after Huo Mo held a discussion and debate session with them, those strategists were all left speechless. In military strategy, troop deployment, medicine, divination, astrology, and even agriculture and irrigation, Huo Mo possessed profoundly deep skill. Once such strength was displayed, those strategists were all utterly stunned.

Was this really the Flame City’s number-one wastrel, who usually indulged in food, drink, women, gambling, and every other vice? Was this really the lecher who had once insulted a princess and harassed respectable women? Was this really the thug who beat honest folk and bullied the weak?

Because Huo Mo had committed so many misdeeds in the past, the intelligence records in the Divine Strategy Hall had only been kept up to the time he had flirted with the princess. Even though many new deeds had recently appeared, they could not be bothered to pay attention.

That sudden reversal nearly shocked them into vomiting blood. Only then did they realize that the true master of the Huo family had finally appeared, and all the gloom would disappear. The servant prospers through the glory of his master—how could they not be excited?

What followed was Huo Mo’s decisive and efficient handling of affairs, leaving them even less able to react. The great institution of the Divine Strategy Hall had been running at full speed throughout the month, one order after another issued without pause. Though each of them worked themselves half to death, their spirits only grew higher.

Watching Huo Mo work day and night, Huo Yihu was practically overjoyed. Every day he went off to drink tea with friends, or to spar with beasts. Since he had relinquished power, he did so completely.

In the meeting hall of the Divine Strategy Hall, Huo Mo sat at the head, issuing command after command. Before him sat all the members of the strategists’ group, each of them exhausted to the core. For many days, none of them had had the chance to rest.

“Elder Li, how is the matter with the Fire Tiger Gang? Have they submitted?” Huo Mo asked in a deep, hoarse voice.

An old man in white hurried forward and respectfully replied, “To answer Young Lord, with the cooperation of the Fire God Army, the Fire Tiger Gang has already submitted. In Flame City, all the underground powers have now submitted to our Huo family, apart from the Black Fiend Gang.”

As soon as the old man finished, Huo Mo’s brows furrowed. He seemed most displeased with this answer.

“The Black Fiend Gang? They refuse both soft and hard methods? Elder Li, do they have some backer?” Huo Mo said quietly, his tone still very low.

Elder Li’s expression darkened slightly, and he answered with a frown, “To answer Young Lord, the Black Fiend Gang’s backer is our mortal enemy, the Situ family. Moreover, this gang has been moving quite aggressively of late. The Situ family seems to have already discovered our actions.”

“The Situ family, is it? Heh. Those fellows have noses sharper than dogs’—I knew we could not hide this from them forever.” Huo Mo suddenly laughed, as if he found it all very interesting.

Elder Li and the other old strategists kept silent. As for such matters, they could not come up with any good solution. After all, the other side had powerful backing; with their own strength, it would be difficult to move them.

Looking at them, Huo Mo could not help but burst into laughter and said loudly, “Why are you all so anxious and worried? It’s only the beginning, and you’re already admitting defeat? If they move against us in the shadows, then we move against them in the shadows. If they come at us openly, heh, we still move against them in the shadows. We’ll quietly kill that bunch of bastards!”