One of Many Days | MDZS

『0.5』

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It was an ordinary day for Mo Xuanyu. As ordinary as it can be.

After recovering from the usual morning ransacking and beatings, he pulled himself up against the withered walls of his room—shack would be a better word. Wincing ever so often, Mo Xuanyu reached over and grabbed the battered dumpling on the floor. Ignoring the spilling gravy and a new coating of mud sauce, Mo Xuanyu stuffed it into his mouth, appeasing the growling beast in his stomach. Beggars can't be choosers, he reminded himself.

Today, he had business in the town square. A foreign merchant had caught him practicing demonic cultivation a few days prior and made a deal with Mo Xuanyu—a trade. As a fellow demonic cultivator, the merchant had a couple of books that accounted for several methods of the aforementioned cultivation. They offered the books for the trade, in exchange for 3000 pieces of the talisman he had been working on. It was easy to guess what the merchant would be doing with the talismans. Nonetheless, it didn't matter to Mo Xuanyu what his talismans would be used for. The trade itself was already a once-in-a-lifetime miracle. He was not going to waste this chance.

With the limited knowledge he had gained from studying in Lanlin Jin Sect, Mo Xuanyu channeled the Qi in his meridians across his body and sped up his internal body's self-recovery system. Although it did ease most of his pain, it couldn't do much to repair the internal bleeding. But that was enough for Mo Xuanyu.

Regaining smoother control over his body, Mo Xuanyu dug up a spot he marked on the dirt floor of his lodgings and pulled out a cloth-wrapped box. It contained the 3000 talismans, that he had spent countless nights drawing, and a pouch filled with his own money. Knowing his cousin, Mo Ziyuan's, habits, Mo Xuanyu had secretly stored any highly important items he had in this very box. Though it had not been found yet, the anxiety and dread constantly gnawed at the back of his mind.

Mo Xuanyu transferred the talismans and a couple of coins into his worn-down bag, before sealing the box back where it belonged. Securing a grip on the cabinet beside him, Mo Xuanyu hauled himself up, albeit with great difficulty, and stood still for a few minutes to stabilise himself. With a determined huff, he painted on his usual makeup and headed out.

The exchange went fairly simply and smoothly, in a place away from lingering eyes. Mo Xuanyu thanked the merchant with a deep blow, which was promptly dismissed by them. "We are brothers of the same path. No need for stiff formalities," they had told him, paired with a sturdy pat on his back. With that, the two parted ways.

Eager to dive into the rich knowledge held within the strokes on the papers, Mo Xuanyu settled himself under an old tree at the far corner of town. It was away from any prying eyes and gossiping passersby, the ideal place for him to indulge in his own interest—and feel comfortable doing it.

So when a beautiful face, as delicate as white peony flowers, appeared in the corner of his eyes, it took his breath away. Had a goddess descended from the heavens and decided to bless his unfortunate soul?

Then, a dazzling smile bloomed across the goddess's divine features. And with a voice deeper than Mo Xuanyu had ever expected, they spoke, "Hello."

Mo Xuanyu almost shuddered.

Being told that he had been clumsy since young, Mo Xuanyu couldn't have agreed more when he lost his balance in the midst of his surprise. However, to be suddenly pulled into such a big and warm embrace left him with only boundless gratitude for this trait he had always hated.

Mo Xuanyu thanked the heavens. He also made sure to thank the makeup on his face for concealing his already flaming red face.

As the weight on his body lightened, a rich and breathy chuckle tickled his ears. Mo Xuanyu swore he had been sent to heaven.

"Am I that terrifying?" Their silvery voice came again.

The rest of the conversation went like a blur, as Mo Xuanyu let his eyes wander, stealing glimpses of the figure above him while trying to piece together words for appropriate replies. The goddess—who was most definitely a beautiful man—crinkled his alluring eyes whenever he smiled. His mesmerising crimson irises dilated when he met Mo Xuanyu's pair, seemingly penetrating deep into his soul. His hair, white as snow, cascaded down from his head, framing his ethereal face like the translucent white veils of a luxurious canopy bed. Wrapped across his face was skin as smooth as porcelain, not a single blemish in sight. If most men looked like this, Mo Xuanyu would wholeheartedly accept his label as a cut-sleeve.

Somewhere during the conversation, the man might have given his name. Unfortunately, Mo Xuanyu was too lost in the scenery before him to catch it. Mo Xuanyu didn't mind, for he was more focused on the fact that this gentleman was eagerly participating in a conversation with himself. However, as if trained to detect even the quickest glimpses thrown his way, Mo Xuanyu caught a lingering duo in the corner of his eye.

That plunged him back into reality, faster than the fear of being nearly caught as a demonic cultivator could.

Mo Xuanyu needed to leave. He didn't want to tarnish the reputation of such a wonderful person for being seen with a lowly homosexual. However, that fear was immediately overshadowed by the sheer mortification that tore his very being when he was left exposed, with wounds and bruises he had kept under wraps for years, for such pure and unsullied eyes to see.

He waited for a response. Ugly. Unsightly. Hideous. Disgusting. Any word that he had been used to hearing. A slap. A push. A repulsed sneer. Any action that immediately followed after the exclamation.

However, never in his entire life, would he have expected the words that would leave the man's lips. "You're injured!"

All Mo Xuanyu could remember was the sudden disappearance of the surface under his feet, a gust of wind in his face, and a dizzy ride, before he found himself staring into a room, where a figure in white robes sat meditating peacefully.

"Gege!" Qianjie—Mo Xuanyu finally caught his name during the sprint—called out, drawing the attention of the other man in the room.

There were two gods. Mo Xuanyu was certain he had been sent to heaven.

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