Chapter 23:
Three Mulberry
MENGHU GLANCED AROUND, then pulled out a jade box with a greenish-yellow hue. This shade of jade was associated with the wood element and was typically used to preserve spiritual herbs without elemental attributes.
“What’s this?” Mo Tianliao didn’t touch the box, looking at his senior.
“It’s a long story.” Menghu opened the box. “This is the main reason I’ve been out training. It was incredibly difficult to get—Moxiong even got injured for it.”
There was a layer of ice crystals inside that released tendrils of cold air when the box was opened. In the center lay a fruit that was vividly red but unappealingly wrinkled, likely because of the long journey. But Mo Tianliao could tell that it was the Three Mulberry Soul-Condensing Fruit!
The Three Mulberry was an extremely rare divine tree with no branches; the fruits formed in the grooves of its trunk every thirty years. These fruits had the precious ability to condense the divine soul and prevent it from dissipating.
“What a strange fruit. What do you plan to use it for?” Mo Tianliao looked at Menghu, his expression betraying nothing.
“Oh yeah, it’s pretty rare. You have no idea how much trouble I went through. It’s beneficial to Shizun, so I’m thinking of offering it to him.” Menghu still didn’t mention its name or use.
Mo Tianliao’s heart sank. A complete divine soul was like a fully intact egg. It wouldn’t dissipate unless it was damaged. It was like an egg: The contents were safe as long as the shell was intact, but if the shell was cracked, the egg white would gradually dry up and evaporate in the sunlight. The Three Mulberry Soul-Condensing Fruit basically added another layer of membrane to the divine soul, preventing further loss.
It seemed his master’s divine soul was damaged, then.
“You could just offer it to Shizun. After all, it’s such a valuable item. Why bring it to me?” Mo Tianliao wondered. The wooden spikes remained between his fingers.
Menghu scratched his head, stood up, paced around the room, and plopped back down. “Shizun seems to dote on you, so I thought you could give it to him.”
Mo Tianliao looked down and said nothing.
Realizing he might have been a little abrupt, Menghu got up again and paced another round. He hadn’t explained what this fruit was, so maybe his junior thought he was trying to sabotage him? “I’ll be honest,” he said. “This divine fruit is beneficial for the soul, but its appearance has deteriorated on the long journey. You know Shizun—he won’t eat it if it looks unappetizing. I thought we could go together, and you can help persuade him to eat it.”
Mo Tianliao looked at his senior leaning over the table with wide, impatient eyes, and felt the urge to bully him. “There are countless spirit beasts on the back mountain. If his divine soul is unstable, Shizun could just find one of them to tame. Why—”
“He’s—already has a spirit beast.” Menghu paused. “You’re new to the sect, so there are things you don’t understand yet. Spirit beasts can only soothe one’s inner demons and agitation. They’re not a cure-all.”
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Shizun has a spirit beast? Mo Tianliao was curious—why hadn’t he seen it? Before he could pry further, Menghu stood up, clearly not planning to say more, and tried to pull Mo Tianliao along to see their master.
“Wait.” Mo Tianliao took the jade box and touched the wrinkled fruit with his fingertip. A weak current of wood-element spiritual energy surged toward the fruit. He quickly pulled his hand back. “I might have a way to make this fruit fresh again.”
“Really?” Menghu’s eyes lit up. This junior of his was no ordinary man.
“I can’t be sure. Can you give me a few days?” Mo Tianliao handed the box back to Menghu.
“Sure, you keep it.” Menghu pushed the box back to Mo Tianliao. “Just call me when you’re done.” With that, he withdrew the barrier and left in a hurry, like he was worried Mo Tianliao might try to return the fruit.
Mo Tianliao didn’t know what to make of this pure-hearted senior handing him such a precious item without hesitation. Wasn’t he worried Mo Tianliao might eat it himself, or damage it? He put the jade box away in his inventory bracelet.
“Whoa!” Menghu, who’d just stepped out, exclaimed in surprise.
Mo Tianliao hurried out to find a white cat perched on the fence and his senior half crouching before the animal.
“Oh, uh…you’re here for Shidi too, I guess.” Menghu laughed nervously.
His Feline Lordship glanced haughtily at this dumb disciple and swatted him with a paw.
“Um, I, uh…should get going. Those little brats haven’t seen me in a while. Who knows if they’ve been keeping up with their training…” Menghu didn’t even wait to finish talking before he got out of there.
“Pawpaw.” Mo Tianliao walked over and picked the cat up. His senior was friendly to the cat, so it seemed like the little fluffball had been treated well at Woqing Sanctum over the years.
“Meow…” The white cat climbed into Mo Tianliao’s arms with a lazy yawn.
“Where have you been? I grilled some fish but couldn’t find you anywhere, so I gave it to Shizun.” He kissed the soft little head and walked out with the cat in his arms.
This Spring Revival skill he’d learned on his own must have been different from the one other cultivators practiced; probably something to do with his undying tree body. He would need to check the ancient texts and restore the Three Mulberry Soul-Condensing Fruit as soon as possible. His master’s damaged soul couldn’t wait.