I Can Replicate Martial Arts

"Aren’t you afraid your father will be angry if he sees you pulling me around like this?"

Zhao Rui followed her, feeling the cool, smooth skin of her palm as he couldn’t help but ask.

Hearing his words, Mo Ling’Er quickly let go of Zhao Rui’s hand. She pretended nothing was wrong and walked ahead with a brisk pace.

"You haven’t fallen for me, have you?"

"You..."

Mo Ling’Er hesitated for a moment, then suddenly stopped. She turned around, her gaze burning as she stared at Zhao Rui and said, "I do like you."

"Uh!"

Zhao Rui hadn’t expected her to be so direct. He couldn’t help but chuckle, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "I know," he said.

With that, he strode forward.

"I still prefer your wild, untamable side!"

"..."

Mo Ling’Er felt that no matter what attitude she took, she would never get the answer she wanted from Zhao Rui.

Annoyed, she could only say, "Don’t keep my father waiting."

With that, she strode toward the main hall of the Marshal’s Mansion.

The main hall was immense, as tall as a seven or eight-story building. Its surroundings were carved with ornate and mysterious patterns that, from a distance, resembled various Exotic Beasts.

"Our Great Shang uses the Profound Bird as its totem and a hundred birds as its symbol. After entering Gui Xu, we incorporated many Exotic Beasts into them as well..."

Mo Ling’Er explained the history of the Great Shang of Gui Xu as they walked.

The Great Shang of Gui Xu had once been just a small vassal state established by a remote branch of the Great Shang imperial family.

Later, during a war with a faction from the Great Zhou, a twist of fate caused both sides to fall into Gui Xu.

Over the next two thousand years, they thrived and multiplied there, gradually growing to their current size.

After she had been speaking for a short while, the two of them arrived before the main hall of the Marshal’s Mansion. Two enormous, ferocious beast sculptures with bared fangs guarded the entrance.

On either side of the stone beasts, two Martial Dao masters stood guard, weapons in hand.

"Your Highness, the Witch Venerable!"

Seeing Mo Ling’Er approaching with someone, the four men bowed in salute.

Mo Ling’Er, accustomed to this, did not reply, instead leading Zhao Rui straight into the hall.

The entire hall was majestic and elegant. Various patterns were carved beneath the high roof ridge, and hundreds of uniform chandeliers were embedded within, resembling a brilliant galaxy from a distance.

In the center of the hall was a wide wooden dining table. The materials were exquisite; one glance was enough to tell it was immensely heavy and extraordinary.

Seated behind the table was a man with a resolute face and graying temples. His tiger-like eyes radiated authority without a hint of anger. This was none other than Mo Ling’Er’s father, Mo Wuji.

Standing beside Mo Wuji was a young man of about thirty. He was tall and slender, with sharp brows and bright eyes. Dressed in a well-fitting scholar’s robe, he looked quite dashing.

He bore a slight resemblance to Mo Ling’Er.

This was, of course, Mo Ling’Er’s older brother, Mo Longteng.

"Father, your daughter has brought Zhao Rui."

Upon entering the hall, Mo Ling’Er instantly became obedient. She respectfully half-knelt and bowed to Mo Wuji, who was seated behind the table.

"Oh?"

Mo Wuji’s eyes turned to Zhao Rui below. He sized him up for a moment and couldn’t help but nod.

"Greetings, General Mo. This junior is Zhao Rui of the Qingcheng Sword Sect from the Central State. I have long heard of the General’s great name..."

Zhao Rui said, cupping his fist in a salute.

At the same time, his gaze swept over the young man beside Mo Wuji, Mo Longteng.

Mo Longteng noticed his gaze and gave a slight nod.

"Please, sit."

Zhao Rui entered gracefully and sat at a lower-ranking seat by the dining table.

Mo Wuji gestured with his hand, and a servant quickly set out wine vessels, pouring an unknown liquid into them.

A refreshing fragrance wafted from the liquid into the air, whetting one’s appetite.

"You are indeed a fine talent. No wonder my daughter has mentioned you many times. She said you are exceptionally gifted and have a grand presence."

"The Witch Venerable is too kind."

"May I ask the purpose of your visit?"

"I came by invitation!"

"Oh? At whose invitation?"

Mo Wuji asked, surprised.

At this moment, Mo Longteng, who was beside him, turned slightly, bowed, and said:

"Father, your son traveled to the Central State some time ago and had a chance encounter with him. We therefore agreed to meet in the future."

Hearing his son’s words, a flash of understanding passed through Mo Wuji’s eyes. He nodded faintly and said, "Since he is here at your invitation, you must not neglect our guest."

"Yes, Father!"

"Since you were able to drive back the Viper King Venerable, your strength must have already broken through the Domain Realm. With such talent, it seems Ling’Er did not misjudge you."

Mo Wuji looked at Zhao Rui and said in a solemn tone, "The Central State has a relatively short history of cultivation. There are many secrets of Gui Xu that they have never encountered..."

"Why not stay in Great Shang for a while and have a long talk with my son?"

"That was my intention!"

Zhao Rui agreed with a smile.

"Please. This is the blood of a Gugu Beast. I imagine you don’t have this in the Central State. It is an extremely precious substance. Drinking it regularly can enhance the vitality of your muscles and bones..."

Mo Wuji gestured for Zhao Rui to drink the liquid before him.

Zhao Rui looked at the fragrant liquid, finding it hard to associate it with blood.

He raised his cup and downed it in one heroic gulp.

"Excellent taste! Thank you for the drink, General!"

"Since the drink is good, why not stay in our Great Shang? Serve me, and you will have wealth, power, and beautiful women—anything you could want. Even all sorts of Exotic Treasures and Divine Weapons. I have never been stingy with my own people."

Seeing Zhao Rui put down his cup, Mo Wuji suddenly looked at him and brought up the matter of swearing allegiance.

"Great Shang and the Central State both stem from the same origin; why must we distinguish between us? Since the General has returned from Gui Xu, you should know that in the world today, righteous energy is returning to its source, and the universe is righting itself. This one’s heart is set only on the Martial Dao."

Zhao Rui said in a clear voice. Although he didn’t explicitly refuse, his words had already given his answer.

"The Martial Dao? The world? HAHA..."

After hearing this, Mo Wuji couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Just as he was laughing freely, someone suddenly came forward to report a summons from the Chonghou King and Prime Minister.

Mo Wuji’s expression darkened slightly. He reined in his smile and said:

"We shall speak of this no more for now. This old man has matters to attend to... My son, be a good host to Zhao Xianzi."

"Yes!"

After speaking, Mo Wuji rose and strode out of the main hall.

As soon as he was gone, a smile appeared on Mo Longteng’s face. He looked at Zhao Rui and said, "Zhao Rui, I didn’t expect you to get here so quickly!"

"I’ve never been one to procrastinate, especially when it comes to my own affairs," Zhao Rui said with a smile. When he first saw the young man, he had already figured out his identity.

Since he was Mo Ling’Er’s brother, it was understandable that he would have gone to the Central State to find him.

’He must have gone to check on my reputation or investigate my background.’

"Brother, how do you two know each other?"

Hearing the two of them talk as if they were old friends, Mo Ling’Er couldn’t help but ask in surprise.

"We met by chance once..."

Mo Longteng casually made up an excuse to deflect the question.

"That’s great! Since you know my brother too, why don’t you just stay here with us? If you want to ascend the Martial Dao, I’ll ask my father to teach you."

Mo Ling’Er said excitedly.

Seeing his sister so impatiently inviting Zhao Rui to stay, even promising that their father would teach him Martial Arts, Mo Longteng couldn’t help but clear his throat.

"Ahem, let’s talk about that later. First, let’s drink. I don’t usually get to drink this."

Mo Longteng said with a smile.

"It certainly does taste good."

Zhao Rui nodded and drank another cup with Mo Longteng.

Afterward, the two began to chat idly.

Zhao Rui, intending to probe for some information about Great Shang’s Martial Dao, took the initiative to ask about the origins of the Witchcraft Dao.

Mo Longteng shook his head and said, "You’re asking the wrong person about that. I honestly don’t know."

"You don’t know?"

Zhao Rui was taken aback. How could Mo Longteng, an absolute master, not know the origins of the Witchcraft Dao?

"I really don’t know. I suppose only Father knows."

Mo Longteng shook his head, his tone a little dejected.

The matter of its origins involved certain secrets. He had asked about it when he was younger, but his father had refused to tell him, saying only that the time was not right and that he would naturally find out when it was.

Now, more than a decade had passed in a flash. He hadn’t paid the question much mind, so naturally, he had never asked again.

’I wonder if I’m even qualified to know about these things now.’

"Oh! It was presumptuous of me to ask."

Zhao Rui said with an apologetic smile.

"It’s no matter."

Mo Longteng said, shaking his head.